ignition interlock
1
6.6
- noun
- /ɪɡˈnɪʃən ˈɪntərlɒk/
- Specialized
:
dispositivo de bloqueo de encendido
- Before the car could start, the ignition interlock device required the driver to pass a breathalyzer test.
- ignition interlock device
- ignition interlock that prevents
Examples
-
Alcohol-detection devices, aka "ignition interlocks," already exist, and courts.
Academic text (2012) -
In addition to the DUI count, the ex-husband of Whitney Houston was charged with driving with a suspended license as a result of a conviction for an alcohol offense and driving a car without a booze-sensing ignition interlock device.
Blog text (24) -
The new law mandates the installation of an ignition interlock device in vehicles for repeat DUI offenders.
-
Installing an ignition interlock device in his vehicle was a condition of his probation after the DUI charge.
Synonyms
7
6.9
A safety device that stops a machine from starting unless it is safe to use
1
6.6
A device attached to a car that stops it being started or moved without the correct key
A part in a car that stops the engine from starting without the right key
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound directly combines 'ignition' (the engine-starting system) with 'interlock' (a safety device that prevents unsafe operation), so the overall meaning — a device that prevents the ignition from operating unless conditions are met — is transparently derivable from the parts. This is a regular noun–noun technical composition found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Ignition interlock is a device fitted to a car's ignition that acts like a small lock, an interlock, and checks the driver's breath. If it finds alcohol, it will not let the car 'start', so it 'prevents' driving until the test is clear.