ANTI-LOCK

adjective (Science and Technology) Of the brakes of a car or other vehicle: set up so as to prevent locking and skidding when applied suddenly; especially in anti-lock brake (or braking) system (ABS), a patent system which allows sudden braking without any locking of the wheels. Etymology: Formed by adding the prefix anti- in the sense 'preventing' to the verb stem lock. History and Usage: Anti-lock braking was developed in the sixties from a similar system which had been applied to aeroplanes (under the name wheel-slide protection system). The first application to motor vehicles was Lockheed's Antilok (a trade mark); at first it was used mainly for heavy trucks and the like. The term began to appear frequently in car advertising in the early eighties, when the system became generally available on private cars (either as an optional extra or a standard feature), and was used as a strong marketing point. The system works by momentarily releasing the brakes and freeing the locked wheel as often as necessary to avoid skid. Anti-lock is occasionally used on its own as a noun as a shortened form of anti-lock brake system. Unlike car systems, the motorcycle ABS does not allow full application of the brakes while cornering. Daily Mirror (Sydney) 21 Oct. 1988, p. 111 An anti-lock brake system is available. This amazing sports sedan also has a Bumper-to-Bumper warranty that's good for 3 years. Life Fall 1989, p. 85