Definition of "wheel lock" [wheel lock]

• A firing mechanism in certain obsolete small arms, in which a small wheel produces sparks by revolving against a flint. (noun)
• A firearm using such a mechanism. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.