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bolt
1[ bohlt ]
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.
bolt
2[ bohlt ]
verb (used with object)
- to sift through a cloth or sieve.
- to examine or search into, as if by sifting.
Bolt
1/ bəʊlt /
noun
- BoltRobert (Oxton)19241995MBritishWRITING: playwrightFILMS AND TV: writer Robert ( Oxton ). 1924–95, British playwright. His plays include A Man for All Seasons (1960) and he also wrote a number of screenplays
- BoltUsain1986MJamaicanSPORT AND GAMES: athlete 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
2/ 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 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 bolt from the bluea sudden, unexpected, and usually unwelcome event
- shoot one's boltto exhaust one's effort
the runner had shot his bolt
verb
- 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
adverb
- stiffly, firmly, or rigidly (archaic except in the phrase bolt upright )
bolt
3/ bəʊlt /
verb
- to pass (flour, a powder, etc) through a sieve
- to examine and separate
Derived Forms
- ˈbolter, noun
Other Words From
- bolter noun
- boltless adjective
- boltlike adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of bolt1
Origin of bolt2
Word History and Origins
Origin of bolt1
Origin of bolt2
Idioms and Phrases
- 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.
- 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.
More idioms and phrases containing bolt
- nuts and bolts
- shoot one's bolt
Example Sentences
The nose tackle who anchored the Chargers’ run defense will bolt to the Rams on a three-year deal.
“He was just like a bolt of lightning,” said Hall, who still works in real estate in South Dakota.
Winners of their last eight games, the Lakers have bolted up to No. 2 in the Western Conference standings but still trail Oklahoma City by 10½ games.
“A handsome and understanding man providing such a foundation to a lightning bolt of a woman.”
Miss Morgan said the security system picked up a "faint scream" shortly afterwards and later a loud "whooshing noise", said to be the sound of the crossbow bolt that killed Louise.
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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.
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