bolo¹

[boh-loh]

See more synonyms for bolo on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural bo·los.

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

Origin of bolo¹

1900–05; < Philippine Spanish; further origin uncertain

bolo²

[boh-loh]U.S. Military Slang.

noun, plural bo·los.

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

verb (used without object), bo·loed, bo·lo·ing.

to fail to meet the minimum standards of marksmanship.

Origin of bolo²

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

bolo³

[boh-loh]

noun

bolo tie.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for bolo

Contemporary Examples

Shulman said he learned about the existence of a BOLO list, a police term for “be on the lookout for,” in the spring of 2012.
More Heat Than Light in Senate’s IRS Hearing
Eleanor Clift
May 22, 2013
Then rumors swirled Wednesday that Dutschke had skipped town, and the cops had a BOLO (be on the lookout) for his van.
Paul Kevin Curtis and J. Everett Dutschke: Epic Feud and Ricin Letters
Winston Ross
April 25, 2013
In his bolo tie and cowboy hat, Coleman was not afraid to offer this un-PC lyric: “Hey Indian dude … don’t cope a ‘tude.”
Harry Potter Hip-Hop
Jaimie Etkin
July 13, 2011

Historical Examples

Always on the alert, his bolo was ready in an instant, but there was no need for it.
The Adventures of Piang the Moro Jungle Boy
Florence Partello Stuart
Bravely he descended, but this time he swam with his bolo in his hand.
The Adventures of Piang the Moro Jungle Boy
Florence Partello Stuart
Nothing but the bolo and the bow and arrows that he always took.
The Wonder Island Boys: The Tribesmen
Roger Finlay
The first soldier who was struck with a bolo had his head cut off at one blow.
A Soldier in the Philippines
Needom N. Freeman
Quentina was at the Bolo station; so, too, was Susie Billings.
The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch
Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter

British Dictionary definitions for bolo

bolo

noun plural -los

a large single-edged knife, originating in the Philippines

Word Origin

Philippine Spanish, probably from a native word

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bolo

Bolo

n.

"traitor," 1917, from Paul Bolo, French adventurer shot for treason April 17, 1918; used in World War I with reference to pacifist propagandists; later somewhat assimilated to Bolshevik (q.v.).

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bolo2

Origin of bolo2

bolo3

Related Words

Examples from the Web for bolo

Contemporary Examples

Shulman said he learned about the existence of a BOLO list, a police term for “be on the lookout for,” in the spring of 2012.

Then rumors swirled Wednesday that Dutschke had skipped town, and the cops had a BOLO (be on the lookout) for his van.

In his bolo tie and cowboy hat, Coleman was not afraid to offer this un-PC lyric: “Hey Indian dude … don’t cope a ‘tude.”

Historical Examples

Always on the alert, his bolo was ready in an instant, but there was no need for it.

Bravely he descended, but this time he swam with his bolo in his hand.

Nothing but the bolo and the bow and arrows that he always took.

The first soldier who was struck with a bolo had his head cut off at one blow.

Quentina was at the Bolo station; so, too, was Susie Billings.