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bolt¹

(bōlt)

1. A bar made of wood or metal that slides into a socket and is used to fasten doors and gates.

2. A metal bar or rod in the mechanism of a lock that is thrown or withdrawn by turning the key.

3. A fastener consisting of a threaded pin or rod with a head at one end, designed to be inserted through holes in assembled parts and secured by a mated nut that is tightened by applying torque.

a. A sliding metal bar that positions the cartridge in breechloading rifles, closes the breech, and ejects the spent cartridge.

b. A similar device in any breech mechanism.

5. A short, heavy arrow with a thick head, used especially with a crossbow.

6. A flash of lightning; a thunderbolt.

7. A sudden or unexpected event: The announcement was a veritable bolt.

8. A sudden movement toward or away.

9. A large roll of cloth of a definite length, especially as it comes from the loom.

v. bolt·ed, bolt·ing, bolts

v.tr.

1. To secure or lock with or as if with a bolt.

2. To arrange or roll (lengths of cloth, for example) on or in a bolt.

3. To eat (food) hurriedly and with little chewing; gulp.

4. To desert or withdraw support from (a political party).

5. To utter impulsively; blurt.

6. Archaic To shoot or discharge (a missile, such as an arrow).

v.intr.

1. To move or spring suddenly.

2. To start suddenly and run away: The horse bolted at the sound of the shot. The frightened child bolted from the room.

3. To break away from an affiliation, as from a political party.

4. Botany To flower or produce seeds prematurely or develop a flowering stem from a rosette.

Idioms:

bolt from the blue

A sudden, shocking surprise or turn of events.

bolt upright

In a rigidly vertical position: sat bolt upright.

[Middle English, from Old English, heavy arrow.]

bolt²

(bōlt)

tr.v. bolt·ed, bolt·ing, bolts

To pass (flour, for example) through a sieve.

[Middle English bulten, from Old French buleter, from Middle High German biuteln, from biutel, bag, purse.]

Bolt

(bōlt), Usain St. Leo Born 1986.

Jamaican sprinter who is considered to be the fastest man in the world. He won two gold medals at the Olympics in 2008, setting world records in both the 100 and 200 meters. He won another three gold medals at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics for a total of eight Olympic gold medals in his career.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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