Verb (1)
I bolted as I read the winning lottery numbers
the cat bolted for the food dish the minute he spied it
the rabbit bolted when it saw the fox approaching bolted out the cuss word without thinking
the way you bolted those hot dogs, it's no wonder you're feeling a little queasy Adverb
She sat bolt upright, staring straight ahead.
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Noun
After draining the fuel tank, open the drain valve or the bolt on the carburetor bowl to drain any remaining gas out of the carburetor.—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025 Don’t expect to see bolts sticking out of Jacob Elordi‘s head.—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
The conversion to an all-seater venue six years earlier had simply involved bolting bucket seats on to the existing shallow terraces.—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025 The concept draws inspiration from traditional trucking, where bolt-on fairings and side skirts have long been used to cut fuel burn.—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bolt
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German bolz crossbow bolt, and perhaps to Lithuanian beldėti to beat
Verb (2)
Middle English bulten, from Anglo-French buleter, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle High German biuteln to sift, from biutel bag, from Old High German būtil
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b
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