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 for bolt
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 Dutch bout,German Bolz
Bolshoi Ballet, Bolshoi Theater, Bolshy, bolson, bolster, bolt, bolt-action, bolt boat, boltel, bolter, bolt from (out of) the blue
Definition for bolt (2 of 2)
bolt2
[ 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
2
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
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 (1 of 3)
bolt1
/ (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
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
mechanical engineering short for expansion bolt
a bolt from the bluea sudden, unexpected, and usually unwelcome event
shoot one's boltto 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
USto 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 bolt (2 of 3)
bolt2
boult
/ (bəʊlt) /
verb(tr)
to pass (flour, a powder, etc) through a sieve
to examine and separate
Derived forms of bolt
bolterorboulter, noun
Word Origin for bolt
C13: from Old French bulter, probably of Germanic origin; compare Old High German būtil bag
British Dictionary definitions for bolt (3 of 3)
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