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
The physical bolt from your existing lock stays put, as does the exterior key hole.—PC Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025 Jacobs 1-0 (5) Justin Gonzalez bolts for 64-yard TD run as Golden Eagles roll past Hampshire 53-13.—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
This does not mean bolting on new features to your existing products, nor hiring an AI person here or there.—Barry Libert, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 Rather than just bolting an electric motor to an existing 911, Porsche designed an entirely new 3.6 L flat-six engine, taking the opportunity to ditch the belt drive and move some of the ancillaries, which can instead be powered by the car's 400 V traction battery.—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 7 Sep. 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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