bolt Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
    thunderbolt; bolt of lightning.
  2. noun a sliding bar in a breech-loading firearm that ejects an empty cartridge and replaces it and closes the breech
  3. noun the part of a lock that is engaged or withdrawn with a key
    deadbolt.
  4. noun the act of moving with great haste
    dash.
    • he made a dash for the door
  5. noun a roll of cloth or wallpaper of a definite length
  6. noun a screw that screws into a nut to form a fastener
  7. noun a sudden abandonment (as from a political party)
  8. verb move or jump suddenly
    • She bolted from her seat
  9. verb secure or lock with a bolt
    • bolt the door
  10. verb swallow hastily
  11. verb run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along
    abscond; make off; absquatulate; decamp; go off; run off.
    • The thief made off with our silver
    • the accountant absconded with the cash from the safe
  12. verb leave suddenly and as if in a hurry
    bolt out; run out; run off; beetle off.
    • The listeners bolted when he discussed his strange ideas
    • When she started to tell silly stories, I ran out
  13. verb eat hastily without proper chewing
    gobble.
    • Don't bolt your food!
  14. verb make or roll into bolts
    • bolt fabric
  15. adverb in a rigid manner
    stiffly; rigidly.
    • the body was rigidly erect
    • he sat bolt upright
  16. adverb directly
    bang; smack; slapdash; slap.
    • he ran bang into the pole
    • ran slap into her

WordNet

Bolt noun
Etymology
AS. bolt; akin to Icel. bolti, Dan. bolt, D. bout, OHG. bolz, G. bolz, bolzen; of uncertain origin.
Definitions
  1. A shaft or missile intended to be shot from a crossbow or catapult, esp. a short, stout, blunt-headed arrow; a quarrel; an arrow, or that which resembles an arrow; a dart.
    Look that the crossbowmen lack not bolts. Sir W. Scott.
    A fool's bolt is soon shot. Shak.
  2. Lightning; a thunderbolt.
  3. A strong pin, of iron or other material, used to fasten or hold something in place, often having a head at one end and screw thread cut upon the other end.
  4. A sliding catch, or fastening, as for a door or gate; the portion of a lock which is shot or withdrawn by the action of the key.
  5. An iron to fasten the legs of a prisoner; a shackle; a fetter. Obs.
    Away with him to prison! lay bolts enough upon him. Shak.
  6. A compact package or roll of cloth, as of canvas or silk, often containing about forty yards.
  7. A bundle, as of oziers. See Tap bolt, Screw bolt, and Stud bolt.
Bolt transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Bolted; present participle & verbal noun Bolting
Definitions
  1. To shoot; to discharge or drive forth.
  2. To utter precipitately; to blurt or throw out.
    I hate when Vice can bolt her arguments. Milton.
  3. To swallow without chewing; as, to bolt food.
  4. (U. S. Politics) To refuse to support, as a nomination made by a party to which one has belonged or by a caucus in which one has taken part.
  5. (Sporting) To cause to start or spring forth; to dislodge, as conies, rabbits, etc.
  6. To fasten or secure with, or as with, a bolt or bolts, as a door, a timber, fetters; to shackle; to restrain.
    Let tenfold iron bolt my door. Langhorn.
    Which shackles accidents and bolts up change. Shak.
Bolt intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To start forth like a bolt or arrow; to spring abruptly; to come or go suddenly; to dart; as, to bolt out of the room.
    This Puck seems but a dreaming dolt, . . . And oft out of a bush doth bolt. Drayton.
  2. To strike or fall suddenly like a bolt.
    His cloudless thunder bolted on their heads. Milton.
  3. To spring suddenly aside, or out of the regular path; as, the horse bolted.
  4. (U.S. Politics) To refuse to support a nomination made by a party or a caucus with which one has been connected; to break away from a party.
Bolt adverb
Definitions
  1. In the manner of a bolt; suddenly; straight; unbendingly.
    [He] came bolt up against the heavy dragoon. Thackeray.
    Chaucer.
Bolt noun
Etymology
From Bolt, v. i.
Definitions
  1. A sudden spring or start; a sudden spring aside; as, the horse made a bolt.
  2. A sudden flight, as to escape creditors.
    This gentleman was so hopelessly involved that he contemplated a bolt to America -- or anywhere. Compton Reade.
  3. (U. S. Politics) A refusal to support a nomination made by the party with which one has been connected; a breaking away from one's party.
Bolt transitive verb
Etymology
OE. bolten, boulten, OF. buleter, F. bluter, fr. Ll. buletare, buratare, cf. F. bure coarse woolen stuff; fr. L. burrus red. See Borrel, and cf. Bultel.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Bolted; present participle & verbal noun Bolting
Definitions
  1. To sift or separate the coarser from the finer particles of, as bran from flour, by means of a bolter; to separate, assort, refine, or purify by other means.
    He now had bolted all the flour. Spenser.
    Ill schooled in bolted language. Shak.
  2. To separate, as if by sifting or bolting; -- with out.
    Time and nature will bolt out the truth of things. L'Estrange.
  3. (Law) To discuss or argue privately, and for practice, as cases at law. Jacob. Chaucer.
    This bolts the matter fairly to the bran. Harte.
    The report of the committee was examined and sifted and bolted to the bran. Burke.
Bolt noun
Definitions
  1. A sieve, esp. a long fine sieve used in milling for bolting flour and meal; a bolter. B. Jonson.

Webster 1913