bolt

Plural: bolts

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• the part of a lock that is engaged or withdrawn with a key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)
• A (usually) metal fastener consisting of a cylindrical body that is threaded, with a larger head on one end. It can be inserted into an unthreaded hole up to the head, with a nut then threaded on the other end; a heavy machine screw.
• A sliding pin or bar in a lock or latch mechanism.
• A bar of wood or metal dropped in horizontal hooks on a door and adjoining wall or between the two sides of a double door, to prevent the door(s) from being forced open.
• A sliding mechanism to chamber and unchamber a cartridge in a firearm.
• A small personal-armour-piercing missile for short-range use, or (in common usage though deprecated by experts) a short arrow, intended to be shot from a crossbow or a catapult.
• A lightning spark, i.e., a lightning bolt.
• A sudden event, action or emotion.
• A large roll of fabric or similar material, as a bolt of cloth.
• A large roll of fabric or similar material, as a bolt of cloth.
• The standard linear measurement of canvas for use at sea: 39 yards.
• A sudden spring or start; a sudden leap aside.
• A sudden flight, as to escape creditors.
• A refusal to support a nomination made by the party with which one has been connected; a breaking away from one's party.
• An iron to fasten the legs of a prisoner; a shackle; a fetter.
• A burst of speed or efficiency.
• A stalk or scape (of garlic, onion, etc).
• A sieve, especially a long fine sieve used in milling for bolting flour and meal; a bolter.

Verb

Verb Forms: bolted, bolting, bolts

• To sift flour or other dry materials.
• move or jump suddenly
  • "She bolted from her seat"
• secure or lock with a bolt
  • "bolt the door"
• swallow hastily
• run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along
• leave suddenly and as if in a hurry
  • "The listeners bolted when he discussed his strange ideas"
• eat hastily without proper chewing
  • "Don't bolt your food!"
• make or roll into bolts
  • "bolt fabric"
• To connect or assemble pieces using a bolt.
• To affix in a crude or unnatural manner.
• To secure a door by locking or barring it.
• To flee, to depart, to accelerate away suddenly.
• To escape.
• To cause to start or spring forth; to dislodge (an animal being hunted).
• To strike or fall suddenly like a bolt.
• To produce flower stalks and flowers or seeds quickly or prematurely; to form a bolt (stalk or scape); to go to seed.
• To swallow food without chewing it.
• To drink one's drink very quickly; to down a drink.
• To refuse to support a nomination made by a party or caucus with which one has been connected; to break away from a party.
• To utter precipitately; to blurt or throw out.
• To sift, especially through a cloth.
• To sift the bran and germ from wheat flour.
• To separate, assort, refine, or purify by other means.
• To discuss or argue privately, and for practice, as cases at law.

Adverb

• in a rigid manner
  • "he sat bolt upright"
• directly

Adv

• Suddenly; straight; unbendingly.

Examples

• Bolt the door.
• Bolt the vice to the bench.
• Come on, everyone, bolt your drinks; I want to go to the next pub!
• Graham flour is unbolted flour; in contrast, some other flours have been bolted.
• He had seen lightning bolts yesterday night.
• I had to BOLT through my rack of tiles, searching for any possible word.
• Lettuce and spinach will bolt as the weather warms up.
• Seeing the snake, the horse bolted.
• The actor forgot his line and bolted from the stage.
• The horse made a bolt.
• The problem's solution struck him like a bolt from the blue.
• The soldiers stood bolt upright for inspection.
• to bolt a rabbit

Synonyms

abscond, absquatulate, bang, beetle off, bolt of lightning, bolt out, dash, deadbolt, decamp, go off, gobble, make off, rigidly, run off, run out, slap, slapdash, smack, stiffly, thunderbolt

Antonyms

unbolt

Related Words

arrow, dart, nut, screw

Anagrams of bolt