lock / airlock
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lock
A technical installation in a waterway such as a canal or river that allows ships to overcome differences in height by raising or lowering the water level.
Das große Frachtschiff passte nur knapp in die Schleuse.
The large cargo ship only just fit into the lock.
The noun 'die Schleuse' (lock/airlock) is closely related to the verb 'schleusen' (to channel/guide through). 'Schleusen' means to guide something or someone through a narrow area in a controlled way. This function is the core idea in all meanings of 'Schleuse'.
Die Polizei musste die Fans einzeln durch den Eingang schleusen.
The police had to guide the fans through the entrance one by one.
The meaning of 'Schleuse' (lock/airlock) is usually clear from the context. In connection with ships and canals, it means the hydraulic engineering structure. In space travel or laboratories, it is a pressure chamber or clean-room chamber. In the figurative sense, it is about controlling crowds of people or data.
Das Schiff wartete vor der Schleuse auf die Einfahrt.
The ship waited in front of the lock to enter.
When referring to the waterway, ships go 'durch eine Schleuse' (through a lock) or 'in eine Schleuse einfahren' (enter a lock). The process itself is often described with the verb 'schleusen' (to pass through a lock/channel through).
Es dauert etwa 20 Minuten, bis ein Schiff die Schleuse passiert hat.
It takes about 20 minutes for a ship to pass through the lock.
In the figurative meaning, a 'Schleuse' (control gate) serves to channel and control a large flow. It can refer to people, vehicles, or even information.
Der Virenscanner dient als Schleuse für eingehende E-Mails.
The virus scanner serves as a control gate for incoming emails.
filter
'der Filter' and 'die Schleuse' can both control something that passes through an area. A filter selects or holds back certain things, for example dirt in water, spam in emails, or content according to certain criteria. A Schleuse (airlock / control gate) is more about regulating the transition between two areas: something or someone is allowed in or out step by step, often in a controlled way and in a specific order. The words can be confused because both can let something through or stop it. Remember: a filter separates according to characteristics; a Schleuse controls passage.
Vor dem Labor wartet die Gruppe, weil die Schleuse nur zwei Personen gleichzeitig hineinlässt.
The group waits in front of the lab because the airlock only lets two people in at a time.
Der Filter in der Kaffeemaschine hält das Pulver zurück.
The filter in the coffee machine holds back the grounds.