bolt

[ bohlt ]

/ boʊlt /

|||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bolt ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a movable bar or rod that when slid into a socket fastens a door, gate, etc.

the part of a lock that is shot from and drawn back into the case, as by the action of the key.

any of several types of strong fastening rods, pins, or screws, usually threaded to receive a nut.

a sudden dash, run, flight, or escape.

a sudden desertion from a meeting, political party, social movement, etc.

a length of woven goods, especially as it comes on a roll from the loom.

a roll of wallpaper.

Bookbinding. the three edges of a folded sheet that must be cut so that the leaves can be opened.

a rod, bar, or plate that closes the breech of a breechloading rifle, especially a sliding rod or bar that shoves a cartridge into the firing chamber as it closes the breech.

a jet of water, molten glass, etc.

an arrow, especially a short, heavy one for a crossbow.

a shaft of lightning; thunderbolt.

a length of timber to be cut into smaller pieces.

a slice from a log, as a short, round piece of wood used for a chopping block.

verb (used with object)

to fasten with or as with a bolt.

to discontinue support of or participation in; break with: to bolt a political party.

to shoot or discharge (a missile), as from a crossbow or catapult.

to utter hastily; say impulsively; blurt out.

to swallow (one's food or drink) hurriedly: She bolted her breakfast and ran to school.

to make (cloth, wallpaper, etc.) into bolts.

Fox Hunting. (of hounds) to force (a fox) into the open.

verb (used without object)

to make a sudden, swift dash, run, flight, or escape; spring away suddenly: The rabbit bolted into its burrow.

to break away, as from one's political party.

to eat hurriedly or without chewing.

Horticulture. to produce flowers or seeds prematurely.

adverb

Archaic. with sudden meeting or collision; suddenly.

Nearby words

Idioms

bolt from the blue, a sudden and entirely unforeseen event: His decision to leave college was a bolt from the blue for his parents.Also bolt out of the blue.

bolt upright, stiffly upright; rigidly straight: The explosive sound caused him to sit bolt upright in his chair.

shoot one's bolt, Informal. to make an exhaustive effort or expenditure: The lawyer shot his bolt the first day of the trial and had little to say thereafter.

Origin of bolt

before 1000; Middle English (noun, v., and adv.), Old English (noun), cognate with Dutch bout, German Bolz

SYNONYMS FOR bolt

22. dash, rush, run, fly, speed, scoot, flee, bound.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bolt ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsbolt·er, nounbolt·less, adjectivebolt·like, adjective

bolt

[ bohlt ]

/ boʊlt /

verb (used with object)

to sift through a cloth or sieve.

to examine or search into, as if by sifting.

Origin of bolt

1150–1200; Middle English bulten < Old French bul(e)ter, metathetic variant of *buteler < Germanic; compare Middle High German biuteln to sift, derivative of biutel, Old High German būtil bag, whence German Beutel

Related formsbolt·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bolt

Like any high-powered attorney who charges $100,000 for a retainer, Bolt always seems to be one step ahead of the competition.
Gone Girl’s Biggest Twist Is the Superb Tyler Perry|Alex Suskind|October 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But when member organizations started to bolt, the WCF finally caved.
The Kremlin’s Favorite Anti-Gay Hate Group is Coming to Utah|Jay Michaelson|July 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But for once we see something new: The singer reloads the bolt of his machine-gun in time with the music.
Ukraine Separatists' Pro-Putin Raps|Oleg Shynkarenko|June 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Right now Jamaica is about Bob Marley, then Bobsled and now it is Bolt.
Jamaican Bobsledder Tal Stokes Takes to Reddit and Reveals ‘Cool Runnings’ Was Mostly Made Up||October 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Talk-show host Laura Ingraham suggested that the governor was preparing to bolt the GOP.
Obama Escapes Scandals in New Jersey, but What’s in It for Christie?|David Freedlander|May 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
One bolt struck near with a tremendous shock and the air was driven in violent waves into the very mouth of the cave.
The Keepers of the Trail|Joseph A. Altsheler
If he could cut the wood away around the bolt of the scuttle cover, he might force it open.
Ralph on the Engine|Allen Chapman
He lowered the bolt cautiously, not noticing that it could be worked from the outside.
The Devil in Iron|Robert E. Howard
The bolt B has a very small hole bored through it from end to end.
How it Works|Archibald Williams
Then we satisfied ourselves that the bolt could not be moved without the aid of a hammer and a lever.
Indian Ghost Stories|S. Mukerji

British Dictionary definitions for bolt

bolt

/ (bəʊlt) /

noun

a bar that can be slid into a socket to lock a door, gate, etc

a bar or rod that forms part of a locking mechanism and is moved by a key or a knob

a metal rod or pin that has a head at one end and a screw thread at the other to take a nut

a sliding bar in a breech-loading firearm that ejects the empty cartridge, replaces it with a new one, and closes the breech

a flash of lightning

a sudden start or movement, esp in order to escapethey made a bolt for the door

US a sudden desertion, esp from a political party

a roll of something, such as cloth, wallpaper, etc

an arrow, esp for a crossbow

printing a folded edge on a sheet of paper that is removed when cutting to size

mechanical engineering short for expansion bolt

a bolt from the blue a sudden, unexpected, and usually unwelcome event

shoot one's bolt to exhaust one's effortthe runner had shot his bolt

verb

(tr) to secure or lock with or as with a bolt or boltsbolt your doors

(tr) to eat hurriedlydon't bolt your food

(intr; usually foll by from or out) to move or jump suddenlyhe bolted from the chair

(intr) (esp of a horse) to start hurriedly and run away without warning

(tr) to roll or make (cloth, wallpaper, etc) into bolts

US to desert (a political party, etc)

(intr) (of cultivated plants) to produce flowers and seeds prematurely

(tr) to cause (a wild animal) to leave its lair; startterriers were used for bolting rats

adverb

stiffly, firmly, or rigidly (archaic except in the phrase bolt upright)

Word Origin for bolt

Old English bolt arrow; related to Old High German bolz bolt for a crossbow

verb (tr)

to pass (flour, a powder, etc) through a sieve

to examine and separate

Derived Formsbolter or boulter, noun

Word Origin for bolt

C13: from Old French bulter, probably of Germanic origin; compare Old High German būtil bag

Bolt

/ (bəʊlt) /

noun

Robert (Oxton). 1924–95, British playwright. His plays include A Man for All Seasons (1960) and he also wrote a number of screenplays

Usain (juːˈseɪn). born 1986, Jamaican athlete: winner of the 100 metres and the 200 metres in the 2008 Olympic Games, setting world records at both distances

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 bolt

bolt

Old English bolt "short, stout arrow with a heavy head;" also "crossbow for throwing bolts," from Proto-Germanic *bultas (cf. Old Norse bolti, Danish bolt, Dutch bout, German Bolzen), perhaps from PIE root *bheld- "to knock, strike" (cf. Lithuanian beldu "I knock," baldas "pole for striking").

Applied since Middle English to other short metal rods (especially those with knobbed ends). From the notion of an arrow's flight comes the lightning bolt (1530s). A bolt of canvas (c.1400) was so called for its shape. Adverbial phrase bolt upright is from late 14c.

bolt

from bolt (n.) in its various senses; from a crossbow arrow's quick flight comes the meaning "to spring, to make a quick start" (early 13c.). Via the notion of runaway horses, this came to mean "to leave suddenly" (early 19c.). Meaning "to gulp down food" is from 1794. The meaning "to secure by means of a bolt" is from 1580s. Related: Bolted; bolting.

Idioms and Phrases with bolt

bolt

In addition to the idioms beginning with bolt

bolt from the blue, a
bolt upright

also see:

nuts and bolts
shoot one's bolt

bolt

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adverb

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of bolt

bolt

verb (used with object)

Origin of bolt

Examples from the Web for bolt

bolt

noun

verb

adverb

Word Origin for bolt

verb (tr)

Word Origin for bolt

Bolt

noun

bolt

bolt

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