locket

/ˈlɑkət/

/ˈlɒkɪt/

Other forms: lockets

A locket is a small piece of jewelry that's worn on a necklace and opens to reveal a small photograph or memento inside. Your grandmother's silver locket might not be worth a lot of money, but it probably has a lot of sentimental value to you.

Lockets are usually round, oval, or heart-shaped, snapping open and closed and containing a picture of a loved one or a favorite pet, or — in the old days — a lock of someone's hair. These little cases aren't named for hair locks, though, but instead get their name from the Old French loquet, "door-handle" or "latch," for the way their covers move on a hinge and close securely, like a door.

Definitions of locket

1. noun

   a small ornamental case; usually contains a picture or a lock of hair and is worn on a necklace
   type of:

   case

   a portable container for carrying several objects