bolt
bolt — noun
1. a sliding bar fitted within a door, gate, or window frame to hold it closed.
a sliding bar fitted within a door, gate, or window frame to hold it closed.
The back gate's bolt jammed after three days of heavy rain.
gate/door bolt
Priya slid the bolt quietly before opening the upstairs window.
slide the bolt
A loose bolt on the shed door rattled all night in the wind.
The police saw the broken bolt hanging beside the flat's front door.
- slide the bolt
- draw the bolt
- door bolt
- window bolt
- opening
the unfastened state, with no bar holding the door shut.
Grammar Patterns
slide the bolt
door bolt
window bolt
Usage Note
Usually refers to a simple sliding bar rather than the whole lock. Common with doors, gates, shutters, and some windows.
Common Mistakes
2. a thick metal pin with threads at one end, tightened with a nut so that parts st
a thick metal pin with threads at one end, tightened with a nut so that parts stay firmly joined.
The mechanic replaced a rusty bolt under the truck's left wheel.
remove/replace a bolt
One missing bolt made the garden chair wobble on the patio.
Bao tightened each bolt with a wrench before lifting the shelf.
tighten a bolt
A long bolt held the two steel plates together.
- tighten a bolt
- loose bolt
- bolt and nut
- remove a bolt
- separation
the parts are no longer held together.
Grammar Patterns
tighten a bolt
remove a bolt
bolt and nut
Usage Note
Often paired with nut in engineering and repair talk. Distinguish from a screw, which usually turns directly into the material.
Common Mistakes
3. a line of lightning that cuts across the sky for a moment during a storm.
a line of lightning that cuts across the sky for a moment during a storm.
A bright bolt split the clouds above the football field.
a bolt split the clouds
We counted seconds after each bolt during the summer storm.
after each bolt
One bolt lit the hills and then the whole street went dark.
The children screamed when a bolt hit the tree near the lake.
- a bolt of lightning
- bright bolt
- see a bolt
- bolt hit a tree
- darkness
the sky without a sudden flash of light.
Grammar Patterns
a bolt of lightning
one bolt hit
see a bolt
Usage Note
Usually appears in the phrase 'a bolt of lightning'. It names one striking flash, not the whole storm.
Common Mistakes
4. one long wrapped piece of material, such as cloth or wallpaper, sold before it i
one long wrapped piece of material, such as cloth or wallpaper, sold before it is cut.
The shopkeeper cut two meters from a blue bolt of cotton.
bolt of cloth
A dusty bolt of wallpaper leaned behind the paint counter.
bolt of wallpaper
Hana found the last bolt of silk on the top shelf.
bolt of silk
The designer ordered one more bolt for the hotel curtains.
- bolt of cloth
- bolt of cotton
- bolt of wallpaper
- cut from a bolt
- offcut
a smaller piece already cut away from the main roll.
Grammar Patterns
bolt of cloth
bolt of wallpaper
cut from a bolt
Usage Note
Mostly used in sewing, fabric, and decorating contexts. The material is still in one uncut roll.
5. a short heavy shaft used as ammunition in a crossbow.
a short heavy shaft used as ammunition in a crossbow.
The hunter placed a bolt on the crossbow string.
crossbow bolt
A museum case displayed iron bolts from the fifteenth century.
historical weapon sense
One bolt struck the wooden shield beside the gate.
Ravi carved practice bolts for the school history show.
- crossbow bolt
- iron bolt
- shoot a bolt
- practice bolts
- quarrel
older technical word for a square-headed crossbow bolt.
- arrow
broader and more familiar, but less exact for crossbows.
- projectile
formal umbrella term for something shot through the air.
- target
the thing aimed at rather than the thing fired.
Grammar Patterns
shoot a bolt
crossbow bolt
iron bolt
Usage Note
This is a historical or fantasy-world sense. In modern everyday English, people often just say 'arrow' unless the crossbow detail matters.
6. a sudden run towards a place, usually because someone or something is trying to
a sudden run towards a place, usually because someone or something is trying to get away fast.
At the fire alarm, there was a bolt for the nearest exit.
make a bolt for + place
The rabbit made a bolt across the road and vanished.
a bolt across + place
Yusuf saw the dog and took a bolt for the fence.
A quick bolt for the stairs saved Mei from the angry bull.
- make a bolt for the door
- take a bolt for safety
- a bolt across the road
- a quick bolt
- pause
a stop instead of a sudden burst of movement.
Grammar Patterns
make a bolt for
take a bolt for
a bolt across
Usage Note
Often appears in the pattern 'make a bolt for ...'. It focuses on the act itself, while verb sense 1 describes the movement as an action.
a bolt from the blue
idiomSomething that happens suddenly and is completely unexpected.
The news of her resignation came as a bolt from the blue.
Did the job offer seem like a bolt from the blue to you?
have shot your bolt
idiomTo have used all of your energy, resources, or opportunities.
After three hours of arguing, the lawyer had shot his bolt.
Maya felt she had shot her bolt and could not continue.
To run quickly toward something, especially to escape.
The cat made a bolt for the open door when it saw the dog.
Did the prisoner really make a bolt for the fence?
The basic practical details of a subject or activity.
The course teaches the nuts and bolts of computer programming.
Sara learned the nuts and bolts of running a small business.
bolt — verb
1. to rush away or move off very fast, often because something scares you or becaus
to rush away or move off very fast, often because something scares you or because you want to escape.
The horse bolted when a truck backfired beside the field.
animal subject + bolt
At the sight of police, the thief bolted into the market.
bolt into + place
Noa bolted upstairs after hearing glass break in the kitchen.
When the cage door opened, the parrot bolted across the room.
bolt across + place
- bolt away
- bolt into the street
- bolt across the room
- horse bolted
Grammar Patterns
bolt into + place
bolt across + place
bolt upstairs/outside/away
Usage Note
Common with animals, frightened people, and thieves. Often followed by a direction phrase such as into, across, upstairs, or away.
Common Mistakes
2. to swallow food very fast, with little chewing because you are hungry, rushed, o
to swallow food very fast, with little chewing because you are hungry, rushed, or not paying attention.
Diego bolted his noodles before the school bus arrived.
bolt + food
The dog bolted the meat and asked for more.
During lunch break, workers bolted sandwiches beside the van.
Leila bolted down her rice and ran back to class.
bolt down + food
- bolt breakfast
- bolt a sandwich
- bolt down lunch
- bolt food
Grammar Patterns
bolt + food
bolt down + food
Usage Note
Object is usually solid food. In everyday speech, 'bolt down' is especially common.
Common Mistakes
3. to shut a door, gate, or window by pushing a bar across it; a door or gate can a
to shut a door, gate, or window by pushing a bar across it; a door or gate can also bolt in this way.
Theo bolted the kitchen door before the storm got worse.
bolt the door
From inside the hut, someone bolted the shutters at sunset.
bolt + shutters
The old gate bolted easily even in cold weather.
intransitive use
Rashida bolted herself in the bathroom and cried.
bolt yourself in
- bolt the door
- bolt the gate
- bolt the shutters
- bolt yourself in
Grammar Patterns
bolt the door
bolt the shutters
bolt yourself in
Usage Note
Mostly used for doors, gates, shutters, and some windows that have a sliding bar. Distinguish from ordinary 'lock', which can also refer to keys, codes, or electronic systems.
Common Mistakes
4. to hold something firmly in place by putting bolts through it, often into anothe
to hold something firmly in place by putting bolts through it, often into another solid surface.
Workers bolted the metal frame to the concrete floor.
bolt + noun + to
The seats are bolted down for safety during takeoff.
be bolted down
Omar bolted the shelf onto the wall studs.
bolt + noun + onto
Two heavy plates were bolted together at the factory.
be bolted together
- bolt to the floor
- bolt onto the wall
- bolt down the seats
- bolted together
Grammar Patterns
bolt + noun + to/onto
bolt down + noun
be bolted together
Usage Note
Common in building, repair, and transport contexts. The thing fixed is usually heavy or solid, not light paper or cloth.
Common Mistakes
bolt — adverb
1. with the body suddenly or fully straight, especially when someone sits or stands
with the body suddenly or fully straight, especially when someone sits or stands with no bend at all.
Mei woke bolt upright when thunder shook the bedroom windows.
wake bolt upright
At the strange noise, the old dog sat bolt upright.
sit bolt upright
Theo stood bolt upright as the head teacher entered.
stand bolt upright
In the dark tent, everyone was suddenly bolt upright.
- wake bolt upright
- sit bolt upright
- stand bolt upright
- slumped
with the body bent or fallen forward.
Grammar Patterns
wake bolt upright
sit bolt upright
stand bolt upright
Usage Note
Mostly found in the fixed phrase 'bolt upright'. It often suggests shock, fear, or instant attention.
2. straight to a place or in one direct line, without delay or turning aside.
straight to a place or in one direct line, without delay or turning aside.
After the call, Quinn drove bolt to the pharmacy for baby medicine.
drive bolt to + place
The messenger rode bolt to the harbor with the king's letter.
ride bolt to + place
At the whistle, both boys ran bolt across the field to the river.
run bolt across + place
The arrow flew bolt through the open kitchen window.
fly bolt through + opening
- go bolt home
- ride bolt to town
- run bolt for the door
- indirectly
not by the shortest or most direct route.
Grammar Patterns
go bolt home
ride bolt to + place
run bolt for + place
Usage Note
Rare outside older or literary-style English. It usually follows verbs of motion such as go, ride, run, drive, or roll.
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All five words can describe very fast movement, but they point to different reasons and shapes of motion. 'Bolt' strongly suggests a sudden start and often some fear or loss of control: a horse bolts, a thief bolts, a child bolts from a room. 'Dash' is broader and works for any quick run, even when there is no panic. 'Dart' usually describes a short sharp movement in one direction. 'Rush' focuses on haste and can be caused by time pressure, not danger. 'Flee' is the clearest word for escaping real threat, and it sounds more formal than 'bolt'. So a student may dash downstairs for lunch, a rabbit may dart under a fence, but a frightened horse bolts and villagers flee a fire.
Etymology
'Bolt' is an old Germanic word that reached English through Old English. Early forms referred to a short arrow or missile, and also to a thick bar or pin. English kept both concrete ideas, which is why modern 'bolt' can still mean a crossbow missile, a sliding door fastener, or a metal pin used to hold parts together. Several verb senses grew out of those noun meanings: you can bolt a door with a bar, or move so suddenly that you seem to shoot away like an arrow.