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.
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
1
before 1000;Middle English (noun, v., and adv.), Old English (noun), cognate with Dutchbout,GermanBolz
Related formsbolt·er, nounbolt·less, adjectivebolt·like, adjective
1150–1200;Middle Englishbulten < Old Frenchbul(e)ter, metathetic variant of *buteler < Germanic; compare Middle High Germanbiuteln to sift, derivative of biutel,Old High Germanbūtil bag, whence GermanBeutel
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
bolt
1
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
USa sudden desertion, esp from a political party
a roll of something, such as cloth, wallpaper, etc
an arrow, esp for a crossbow
printinga folded edge on a sheet of paper that is removed when cutting to size
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
v.
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.
