1. a lock in which a cylinder rotates to move a bolt; tumblers are pins; inserting the key lifts and aligns the pins to free the cylinder to rotate;
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
cylinder lock
n 1: a lock in which a cylinder rotates to move a bolt; tumblers
are pins; inserting the key lifts and aligns the pins to
free the cylinder to rotate