Bolt (?), n. [AS. bolt; akin to
Icel. bolti, Dan. bolt, D. bout, OHG. bolz, G.
bolz, bolzen; of uncertain origin.] 1. A
shaft or missile intended to be shot from a crossbow or catapult, esp. a
short, stout, blunt-headed arrow; a quarrel; an arrow, or that which
resembles an arrow; a dart.
Look that the crossbowmen lack not bolts.
Sir W. Scott.
A fool's bolt is soon shot.
Shak.
2. Lightning; a thunderbolt.
3. A strong pin, of iron or other material, used to
fasten or hold something in place, often having a head at one end and screw
thread cut upon the other end.
4. A sliding catch, or fastening, as for a door or
gate; the portion of a lock which is shot or withdrawn by the action of the
key.
5. An iron to fasten the legs of a prisoner; a
shackle; a fetter. [Obs.]
Away with him to prison!
lay bolts enough upon him.
Shak.
6. A compact package or roll of cloth, as of canvas
or silk, often containing about forty yards.
7. A bundle, as of oziers.
Bolt auger, an auger of large size; an auger to
make holes for the bolts used by shipwrights. -- Bolt and
nut, a metallic pin with a head formed upon one end, and a
movable piece (the nut) screwed upon a thread cut upon the other end. See
B, C, and D, in illust. above.
See Tap bolt, Screw bolt, and Stud bolt.
Bolt, v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Bolted; p. pr. & vb. n. Bolting.]
1. To shoot; to discharge or drive forth.
2. To utter precipitately; to blurt or throw
out.
I hate when Vice can bolt her arguments.
Milton.
3. To swallow without chewing; as, to bolt
food.
4. (U. S. Politics) To refuse to support, as
a nomination made by a party to which one has belonged or by a caucus in
which one has taken part.
5. (Sporting) To cause to start or spring
forth; to dislodge, as conies, rabbits, etc.
6. To fasten or secure with, or as with, a bolt or
bolts, as a door, a timber, fetters; to shackle; to restrain.
Let tenfold iron bolt my door.
Langhorn.
Which shackles accidents and bolts up change.
Shak.
Bolt, adv. In the manner of a bolt;
suddenly; straight; unbendingly.
[He] came bolt up against the heavy dragoon.
Thackeray.
Bolt upright. (a) Perfectly
upright; perpendicular; straight up; unbendingly erect.
Addison. (b) On the back at full length.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Bolt, n. [From Bolt, v.
i.] 1. A sudden spring or start; a sudden
spring aside; as, the horse made a bolt.
2. A sudden flight, as to escape
creditors.
This gentleman was so hopelessly involved that he
contemplated a bolt to America -- or anywhere.
Compton Reade.
3. (U. S. Politics) A refusal to support a
nomination made by the party with which one has been connected; a breaking
away from one's party.
Bolt, v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Bolted; p. pr. & vb. n. Bolting.] [OE.
bolten, boulten, OF. buleter, F. bluter, fr.
Ll. buletare, buratare, cf. F. bure coarse woolen
stuff; fr. L. burrus red. See Borrel, and cf.
Bultel.]
1. To sift or separate the coarser from the finer
particles of, as bran from flour, by means of a bolter; to separate,
assort, refine, or purify by other means.
He now had bolted all the flour.
Spenser.
Ill schooled in bolted language.
Shak.
2. To separate, as if by sifting or bolting; --
with out.
Time and nature will bolt out the truth of
things.
L'Estrange.
3. (Law) To discuss or argue privately, and
for practice, as cases at law. Jacob.
To bolt to the bran, to examine thoroughly, so as
to separate or discover everything important. Chaucer.
This bolts the matter fairly to the bran.
Harte.
The report of the committee was examined and sifted and
bolted to the bran.
Burke.
Bolt, n. A sieve, esp. a long fine sieve
used in milling for bolting flour and meal; a bolter. B.
Jonson.
Bolt (bōlt; 110), v. i.
1. To start forth like a bolt or arrow; to spring
abruptly; to come or go suddenly; to dart; as, to bolt out of the
room.
This Puck seems but a dreaming dolt, . . .
And oft out of a bush doth bolt.
Drayton.
2. To strike or fall suddenly like a
bolt.
His cloudless thunder bolted on their heads.
Milton.
3. To spring suddenly aside, or out of the regular
path; as, the horse bolted.
4. (U.S. Politics) To refuse to support a
nomination made by a party or a caucus with which one has been connected;
to break away from a party.