BOLT


Meaning of BOLT in English

/ bəʊlt; NAmE boʊlt/ noun , verb , adverb

■ noun

1.

a long, narrow piece of metal that you slide across the inside of a door or window in order to lock it

2.

a piece of metal like a screw without a point which is used with a circle of metal (= a nut ) to fasten things together :

nuts and bolts

3.

bolt of lightning a sudden flash of lightning in the sky, appearing as a line

4.

a short heavy arrow shot from a crossbow

5.

a long piece of cloth wound in a roll around a piece of cardboard

IDIOMS

- a bolt from the blue

- make a bolt for sth | make a bolt for it

—more at nut noun , shot verb

■ verb

1.

to fasten sth such as a door or window by sliding a bolt across; to be able to be fastened in this way :

[ vn ]

Don't forget to bolt the door.

[ v ]

The gate bolts on the inside.

2.

[ vn ] bolt A to B | bolt A and B together to fasten things together with a bolt :

The vice is bolted to the workbench.

The various parts of the car are then bolted together.

3.

[ v ] if an animal, especially a horse, bolts , it suddenly runs away because it is frightened

4.

[ v , usually + adv. / prep. ] ( of a person ) to run away, especially in order to escape :

When he saw the police arrive, he bolted down an alley.

5.

[ vn ] bolt sth (down) to eat sth very quickly :

Don't bolt your food!

6.

( NAmE ) to stop supporting a particular group or political party :

[ vn ]

Many Democrats bolted the party to vote Republican.

[also v ]

7.

[ v ] ( of a plant, especially a vegetable ) to grow too quickly and start producing seeds and so become less good to eat

IDIOMS

see stable door noun

■ adverb

IDIOMS

- sit / stand bolt upright

••

WORD ORIGIN

noun senses 1 to 4 and verb senses 1 to 2 Old English , arrow , of unknown origin; related to Dutch bout and German Bolzen arrow, bolt for a door.

verb senses 3 to 7 Middle English : from the other verb senses of bolt , expressing the sense fly like an arrow .

noun sense 5 Middle English : transferred use of bolt metal pin .

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.