bolt

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German bolz crossbow bolt, and perhaps to Lithuanian beldėti to beat Date: before 12th century 1. a. a shaft or missile designed to be shot from a crossbow or catapult; especially a short stout usually blunt-headed arrow b. a lightning stroke; also thunderbolt 2. a. a wood or metal bar or rod used to fasten a door b. the part of a lock that is shot or withdrawn by the key 3. a roll of cloth or wallpaper of specified length 4. a metal rod or pin for fastening objects together that usually has a head at one end and a screw thread at the other and is secured by a nut 5. a. a block of timber to be sawed or cut b. a short round section of a log 6. a metal cylinder that drives the cartridge into the chamber of a firearm, locks the breech, and usually contains the firing pin and extractor II. verb Date: 13th century intransitive verb 1. to move suddenly or nervously ; start 2. to move or proceed rapidly ; dash 3. a. to dart off or away ; flee b. to break away from control or a set course 4. to break away from or oppose one's previous affiliation (as with a political party or sports team) 5. to produce seed prematurely transitive verb 1. a. archaic shoot, discharge b. flush, start <

bolt rabbits

> 2. to say impulsively ; blurt 3. to secure with a bolt <

bolt the door

> 4. to attach or fasten with bolts 5. to eat hastily or without chewing <

bolted his breakfast

> 6. to break away from or refuse to support (as a political party) III. adverb Date: 14th century 1. in an erect or straight-backed position ; rigidly <

sat bolt upright

> 2. archaic directly, straight IV. noun Date: 1550 the act or an instance of bolting V. transitive verb Etymology: 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 Date: 13th century 1. to sift (as flour) usually through fine-meshed cloth 2. archaic sift 2