unbolted
1 Americanadjective
adjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of unbolted1
First recorded in 1570–80; un- 1 + bolt 1 + -ed 2
Origin of unbolted2
Explanation
If something's unbolted, it's not locked or latched. Don't leave the back gate unbolted when you leave, or the goats will get out! When something is unbolted, its lock or bolt hasn't been secured in place. You can also say it's unlocked or unlatched. An unbolted front door can be opened by turning the knob, and an unbolted bike lock is basically useless against bicycle thieves. Unbolted comes from bolt, which as a noun has meant "stout pin for fastening objects together" since the 15th century.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Arrays of Russian sensors to sniff, scour and study the planet’s environment may have to be unbolted and replaced and a non-Russian launcher rocket found if the suspension of their collaboration becomes a lasting rupture.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 27, 2022
For example, a converted 1991 Porsche can be unbolted and retuned back to its original state.
From The Verge • Nov. 22, 2021
Even the America’s Cup was finally unbolted from its display case at the New York Yacht Club after 132 years.
From The Guardian • May 4, 2018
The impact unbolted a large crystal chandelier above the ambassador’s desk that missed his head by inches.
From The New Yorker • May 13, 2016
He got up and unbolted the door; Hermione toppled inside at once, regained her balance, and looked around suspiciously.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
