bolt
pronunciation
How to pronounce bolt in British English:
UK [bəʊlt]
How to pronounce bolt in American English:
US [boʊlt]
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- Noun:
- a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
- a sliding bar in a breech-loading firearm that ejects an empty cartridge and replaces it and closes the breech
- the part of a lock that is engaged or withdrawn with a key
- the act of moving with great haste
- a roll of cloth or wallpaper of a definite length
- a screw that screws into a nut to form a fastener
- a sudden abandonment (as from a political party)
-
- Verb:
- move or jump suddenly
- secure or lock with a bolt
- swallow hastily
- run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along
- leave suddenly and as if in a hurry
- eat hastily without proper chewing
- make or roll into bolts
-
- Adverb:
- in a rigid manner
- directly
Word Origin
- bolt
- bolt: [OE] In Old English, a bolt was an arrow, particularly of the short stout variety used in crossbows (hence the phrase shoot one’s bolt). The more familiar modern sense ‘fastening pin’ developed in the 13th century. The verbal sense ‘make a quick escape’ comes from the notion of firing a projectile. The word appears in other Germanic languages (for instance German bolz ‘bolt’), but its ultimate origin is unknown.
- bolt (n.)
- Old English bolt "short, stout arrow with a heavy head;" also "crossbow for throwing bolts," from Proto-Germanic *bultas (cognates: Old Norse bolti, Danish bolt, Dutch bout, German Bolzen), perhaps from PIE root *bheld- "to knock, strike" (cognates: 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.
- bolt (v.)
- 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.
Example
- 1. Can 't figure out this bolt and builds a bridge .
- 2. That the police believe mr. harris-moore burglarized twice , once stealing bolt cutters and $ 4000 .
- 3. The issue with the missing nut was successfully resolved on saturday and the bolt had been re-positioned .
- 4. The bolt did not cause serious damage and apollo 12 went on to make a successful , pinpoint landing on the moon near an old unmanned surveyor probe .
- 5. Using a standard iron-sighted , bolt action rifle in the winter war , he has the highest recorded number of confirmed kills in any major war .