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• bolo
  bolo

  noun

  a large, heavy, single-edged knife or machete for hacking, used in the Philippines and by the U.S. Army.
• BOLO
  BOLO

  abbreviation

  be on the lookout: an instruction or warning to law enforcement personnel, or sometimes to the general public, to be watchful for the appearance of a criminal suspect or criminal activity.

bolo

¹ American  

[boh-loh] / ˈboʊ loʊ /

noun

bolos plural

1. a large, heavy, single-edged knife or machete for hacking, used in the Philippines and by the U.S. Army.

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bolo ² American  

[boh-loh] / ˈboʊ loʊ /

noun

bolos plural

1. a soldier who does not meet the minimum standards of marksmanship.

2. a clumsy or incompetent soldier.

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verb (used without object)

boloed, boloing

1. to fail to meet the minimum standards of marksmanship.

bolo ³ American  

[boh-loh] / ˈboʊ loʊ /

noun

1. bolo tie.

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BOLO ⁴ American  

[boh-loh] / ˈboʊˌloʊ /

abbreviation

1. be on the lookout: an instruction or warning to law enforcement personnel, or sometimes to the general public, to be watchful for the appearance of a criminal suspect or criminal activity.

   The police issued a BOLO at 2:14 p.m., just moments after the robbery was reported.

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bolo British  

/ ˈbəʊləʊ /

noun

1. a large single-edged knife, originating in the Philippines

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• bolos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bolo¹

First recorded in 1900–05; from Philippine Spanish; further origin uncertain

Origin of bolo²

First recorded in 1915–20; said to be after Bolo Pascha (died 1918), German agent in France during World War I

Origin of BOLO⁴

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

That’s 25 seasons, or over a thousand episodes that told us to always BOLO, or be on the lookout.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2023

The man reportedly fit the description of a "BOLO," which means "be on the lookout" for an individual who authorities believe might have a weapon.

From Fox News • Nov. 4, 2021

There was a false Pasha named BOLO, Who sank in iniquity so low.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 153, October 17, 1917 by Various

Related Words

• bayonet
• blade
• cutter
• dagger
• machete
• scalpel
• sickle
• skewer
• sword