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.
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.
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.
bolt upright, stiffly upright; rigidly straight.
The explosive sound caused him to sit bolt upright in his chair.
bolt from the blue, a sudden and entirely unforeseen event: Also bolt out of the blue.
His decision to leave college was a bolt from the blue for his parents.
shoot one's bolt, to make an exhaustive effort or expenditure.
The lawyer shot his bolt the first day of the trial and had little to say thereafter.
to sift through a cloth or sieve.
to examine or search into, as if by sifting.
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 escape
they made a bolt for the door
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 sudden, unexpected, and usually unwelcome event
to exhaust one's effort
the runner had shot his bolt
(tr) to secure or lock with or as with a bolt or bolts
bolt your doors
(tr) to eat hurriedly
don't bolt your food
(intr; usually foll by from or out) to move or jump suddenly
he 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
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; start
terriers were used for bolting rats
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
to pass (flour, a powder, etc) through a sieve
to examine and separate
First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun bolt, bold, bote “(crossbow) bolt, (lightning) bolt, (door) bolt, (cloth) bolt,” Old English bolt “arrow, (crossbow) bolt, catapult”; cognate with Dutch bout, German Bolz
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bulten, bolten, bouten, from Old French bul(e)ter, variant of unrecorded buteler, from Germanic; compare Middle High German biuteln “to sift,” derivative of biutel, Old High German būtil “bag,” whence German Beutel
We love words that sound like what they mean, and bolt is no exception. It's a quick, sharp word that either means to move quickly or refers to a stroke of lightning, as in "lightning bolt." The god Zeus was fond of tossing bolts of lightning down upon mortals who angered him. If you were one of those mortals, you'd have been smart to bolt inside as soon as the rain began. To bolt is to run as quickly as you can. Racehorses are often described as bolting out of the gate. Other uses of bolt include the lock in your door, the act of locking that lock, and what a dog does when it gulps down his food.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cosmo always looked for any crack in our home to try to bolt away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Whether the form has legs, wheels or a tower, it still needs actuators, sensors, edge compute, safety systems and someone to bolt it into a line.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
That “better” isn’t a lightning bolt so much as a slow accumulation — small, incremental shifts that bring something closer, then closer still.
From Salon ● Apr. 16, 2026
It's hard to envisage a lightning bolt at this stage.
From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026
With that, she aimed a gnarled wand in Jack’s direction, shouted a magic word, and shot a bolt of lightning straight at him.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Most other comparably priced EVs in the U.S. are closer to $30,000, including the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt, which Car and Driver named its most affordable EV.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
Ride-hailing platforms Uber, Lyft and Bolt often partner in such projects.
From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026
In arraying himself against adversaries no matter the cost, he has earned an appellation Robert Bolt gave Sir Thomas More: a man for all seasons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp, who represented Laura, says it has more than 28 ongoing claims against British Gymnastics.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
I looked in the world records book and it says some dude named Usain Bolt is the fastest, but I had never heard of him.
From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds
The small nocturnal arachnid has been nicknamed the ballista spider after the ancient Roman siege weapon that launched bolts and stones using stored tension.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
On a nuts and bolts level, it’s all screwed together tight, even the pieces that stick out at weird angles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
The concrete, honeycomb-style installations are attached to the wall by metal bolts - and they have been inspired by the success of vertipools in the Isle of Wight.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
Theo Francis covers how U.S. companies work behind the scenes for The Wall Street Journal, from Washington: executive pay, perks, workplace and retirement, accounting, disclosure — the nuts and bolts most people don't see.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026
Idiptu stuck his head through the bigger opening and his tongue rolled out, searching for the dead bolts.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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.
