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bolt

We love words that sound like what they mean, and bolt is no exception. It's a quick, sharp word that either means to move quickly or refers to a stroke of lightning, as in "lightning bolt."

The god Zeus was fond of tossing bolts of lightning down upon mortals who angered him. If you were one of those mortals, you'd have been smart to bolt inside as soon as the rain began. To bolt is to run as quickly as you can. Racehorses are often described as bolting out of the gate. Other uses of bolt include the lock in your door, the act of locking that lock, and what a dog does when it gulps down his food.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: bolt

1
 nv
a screw that screws into a nut to form a fastener
secure or lock with a bolt
2
 n
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
3
 vn
move or jump suddenly
the act of moving with great haste
4
 nv
a roll of cloth or wallpaper of a definite length
make or roll into bolts
5
 adv
in a rigid manner
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: bolt
1

n a screw that screws into a nut to form a fastener

Types:
show 5 types...
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carriage bolt
a roundheaded bolt for timber; threaded along part of the shank; inserted into holes already drilled
expansion bolt
a bolt that has an attachment that expands as the bolt is driven into a surface
kingbolt, kingpin, swivel pin
bolt that provides a steering joint in a motor vehicle
machine bolt
a bolt with a square or hexagonal head on one end and a threaded shaft on the other end; tightened with a wrench; used to connect metal parts
stove bolt
a small machine bolt
Type of:
screw
a fastener with a tapered threaded shank and a slotted head

n the part of a lock that is engaged or withdrawn with a key

Synonyms:
deadbolt
Types:
safety bolt, safety lock
a bolt that cannot be moved from outside the door or gate
Type of:
bar
a rigid piece of metal or wood; usually used as a fastening or obstruction or weapon

n a sliding bar in a breech-loading firearm that ejects an empty cartridge and replaces it and closes the breech

Type of:
bar
a rigid piece of metal or wood; usually used as a fastening or obstruction or weapon

v secure or lock with a bolt

“bolt the door”
Antonyms:
unbolt
undo the bolt of
Type of:
lock
fasten with a lock
2

n a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder

Synonyms:
bolt of lightning, thunderbolt
Type of:
lightning
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
3

v move or jump suddenly

“She bolted from her seat”
Type of:
move
move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion

v leave suddenly and as if in a hurry

“The listeners bolted when he discussed his strange ideas”
Synonyms:
beetle off, bolt out, run off, run out
Type of:
go away, go forth, leave
go away from a place

v run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along

Synonyms:
abscond, absquatulate, decamp, go off, make off, run off
Types:
levant
run off without paying a debt
Type of:
flee, fly, take flight
run away quickly

v eat hastily without proper chewing

“Don't bolt your food!”
Synonyms:
gobble
Type of:
eat
take in solid food

v swallow hastily

Type of:
get down, swallow
pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking

n the act of moving with great haste

Synonyms:
dash
Type of:
haste, hurry, rush, rushing
the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner

n a sudden abandonment (as from a political party)

Type of:
abandonment, desertion, forsaking
the act of giving something up
4

n a roll of cloth or wallpaper of a definite length

Type of:
roll
anything rolled up in cylindrical form

v make or roll into bolts

“bolt fabric”
Type of:
furl, roll up
form into a cylinder by rolling
5

adv in a rigid manner

“he sat bolt upright”
Synonyms:
rigidly, stiffly

adv directly

Synonyms:
bang, slap, slapdash, smack
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