bolo

[ boh-loh ]

/ ˈboʊ loʊ /

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noun, plural bo·los.

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

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of bolo

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

Words nearby bolo

bollocking, bollocks, boll weevil, bollworm, Bollywood, bolo, bologna, bologna sausage, Bolognese, bolometer, bolometric magnitude

Other definitions for bolo (2 of 3)

bolo²

[ boh-loh ]

/ ˈboʊ loʊ /

U.S. Military Slang.

noun, plural bo·los.

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

a clumsy or incompetent soldier.

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

to fail to meet the minimum standards of marksmanship.

Origin of bolo

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

Other definitions for bolo (3 of 3)

bolo³

[ boh-loh ]

/ ˈboʊ loʊ /

noun

bolo tie.

How to use bolo in a sentence

Whatever you do, do not leave Madeira without trying their typical bread, bolo do caco.
This European Island Is Like Hawaii Without the Tourists|Cassandra Brooklyn|December 20, 2021|The Daily Beast
The home was about 30 feet from the ocean and the nearest stores and restaurants were a five-minute drive so bolo do caco was easily accessible.
This European Island Is Like Hawaii Without the Tourists|Cassandra Brooklyn|December 20, 2021|The Daily Beast
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
Its clothing hung on it in tatters, and the exposed flesh was bolo-gashed and briar-torn.
The Code of the Mountains|Charles Neville Buck
The dead man bore no bolo gashes, and the wound which had disabled him had been only a bullet through one shoulder.
The Code of the Mountains|Charles Neville Buck
Haciendas of loyal Spaniards and Ilacanos were raided, and their people put to the bolo.
The Code of the Mountains|Charles Neville Buck
Upon a table was placed a skull, a loaded revolver and a bolo.
The Katipunan|J. Brecknock Watson (AKA Francis St. Clair)
His companion, a young woman in a long fur coat, was laying about her with a native bolo-knife.
Uller Uprising|Henry Beam Piper, John D. Clark and John F. Carr

British Dictionary definitions for bolo

bolo

/ (ˈbəʊləʊ) /

noun plural -los

a large single-edged knife, originating in the Philippines

Word Origin for bolo

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

bolo

Origin of bolo

Words nearby bolo

Other definitions for bolo (2 of 3)

Origin of bolo

Other definitions for bolo (3 of 3)

Words related to bolo

How to use bolo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bolo

Word Origin for bolo