gerendel

Gerendel is a Dutch term for a mechanical locking device, typically a bolt, latch, or bar used to secure doors, gates, chests, or other closures. In modern Dutch, the more common word for a locking bar is grendel, while gerendel appears in historical or technical contexts and is sometimes treated as a variant spelling. The verb form related to locking is vergrendelen.

Etymology and scope: The word is derived from older Dutch forms such as gerendel and grendel, connected to the broader Germanic root meaning to fasten or secure. In architectural and nautical sources, gerendel denotes the fastening element that prevents opening of a door, hatch, or lid, often engaging with a strike plate or receiver.

Function and variants: A gerendel may be a simple sliding bolt, a hinged bar, or a cross-bolt operated by hand. Some versions are designed to be key-operated or to be secured with an additional padlock. The term is frequently found in descriptions of historical hardware on doors, gates, chests, ships, and fortifications.

Historical and modern usage: The term is predominantly encountered in historical texts, inventories, and technical descriptions of older security hardware. In contemporary Dutch, gerendel is less common in everyday language, with grendel or vergrendel being more widely used for related hardware and actions.

See also: Grendel (disambiguation), Vergrendelen, Lock (security hardware).