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

bolshoi ballet, bolshoi theater, bolshy, bolson, bolster, bolt, bolt boat, bolt from (out of) the blue, bolt from the blue, a, bolt hole, bolt upright

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

Definition for bolter (2 of 2)

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 bolter

After The Bolter was first published in the U.K., a woman wrote to me from Canada.
Spilling My Family's Secrets|Frances Osborne|May 21, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The Bolter by Frances Osborne gave me a wicked summer weekend read.
Our Favorite Books of 2009|The Daily Beast|December 22, 2009|DAILY BEAST
I was recommended to consult you by my friend, Mr. Bolter, as I think I explained in my letter.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 156, Feb. 19, 1919|Various
Bolter turned out a great acquisition, ‘medium,’ or what not.
The Book of Dreams and Ghosts|Andrew Lang

One time they landed late in the afternoon, and yet were foolishly sent off, Bolter in charge.
The Book of Dreams and Ghosts|Andrew Lang
Dont yer forget to add three pint-pots and a milk-can, said Mr. Bolter.
Oliver Twist, Vol. III (of 3)|Charles Dickens
This person, I may add, had never been in or near the island, and was totally unknown to Bolter.
The Book of Dreams and Ghosts|Andrew Lang

British Dictionary definitions for bolter (1 of 4)

bolter

/ (ˈbəʊltə) /

noun Australian informal

an outsider in a contest or race

history an escaped convict; bushranger

British Dictionary definitions for bolter (2 of 4)

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

British Dictionary definitions for bolter (3 of 4)

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

British Dictionary definitions for bolter (4 of 4)

bolt

boult

/ (bəʊlt) /

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

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 bolter (1 of 2)

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.

Word Origin and History for bolter (1 of 2)

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 bolter

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 CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of bolt

Definition for bolter (2 of 2)

bolt

verb (used with object)

Origin of bolt

Examples from the Web for bolter

British Dictionary definitions for bolter (1 of 4)

bolter

noun Australian informal

British Dictionary definitions for bolter (2 of 4)

Bolt

noun

British Dictionary definitions for bolter (3 of 4)

bolt

noun

verb

adverb

Word Origin for bolt

British Dictionary definitions for bolter (4 of 4)

bolt

boult

verb (tr)

Word Origin for bolt

Word Origin and History for bolter (1 of 2)

bolt

Word Origin and History for bolter (1 of 2)

bolt

Idioms and Phrases with bolter

bolt