bolt
/bəʊlt/ (bre, ipa) · /bəʊlt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbōlt/ (ame, mw) · /boʊlt/ (ame, ipa)
bolt — noun
1. a sliding bar fitted within a door, gate, or window frame to hold it closed.
a sliding bar fitted within a door, gate, or window frame to hold it closed.
The back gate's bolt jammed after three days of heavy rain.
gate/door bolt
Priya slid the bolt quietly before opening the upstairs window.
slide the bolt
A loose bolt on the shed door rattled all night in the wind.
The police saw the broken bolt hanging beside the flat's front door.
- opening
the unfastened state, with no bar holding the door shut.
文法句型
slide the bolt
door bolt
window bolt
用法筆記
Usually refers to a simple sliding bar rather than the whole lock. Common with doors, gates, shutters, and some windows.
常見錯誤
2. a thick metal pin with threads at one end, tightened with a nut so that parts st
a thick metal pin with threads at one end, tightened with a nut so that parts stay firmly joined.
The mechanic replaced a rusty bolt under the truck's left wheel.
remove/replace a bolt
One missing bolt made the garden chair wobble on the patio.
Bao tightened each bolt with a wrench before lifting the shelf.
A long bolt held the two steel plates together.
- separation
the parts are no longer held together.
文法句型
tighten a bolt
remove a bolt
bolt and nut
用法筆記
Often paired with nut in engineering and repair talk. Distinguish from a screw, which usually turns directly into the material.
常見錯誤
3. a line of lightning that cuts across the sky for a moment during a storm.
a line of lightning that cuts across the sky for a moment during a storm.
A bright bolt split the clouds above the football field.
a bolt split the clouds
We counted seconds after each bolt during the summer storm.
after each bolt
One bolt lit the hills and then the whole street went dark.
The children screamed when a bolt hit the tree near the lake.
- darkness
the sky without a sudden flash of light.
文法句型
a bolt of lightning
one bolt hit
see a bolt
用法筆記
Usually appears in the phrase 'a bolt of lightning'. It names one striking flash, not the whole storm.
常見錯誤
4. one long wrapped piece of material, such as cloth or wallpaper, sold before it i
one long wrapped piece of material, such as cloth or wallpaper, sold before it is cut.
The shopkeeper cut two meters from a blue bolt of cotton.
bolt of cloth
A dusty bolt of wallpaper leaned behind the paint counter.
bolt of wallpaper
Hana found the last bolt of silk on the top shelf.
The designer ordered one more bolt for the hotel curtains.
- offcut
a smaller piece already cut away from the main roll.
文法句型
bolt of cloth
bolt of wallpaper
cut from a bolt
用法筆記
Mostly used in sewing, fabric, and decorating contexts. The material is still in one uncut roll.
5. a short heavy shaft used as ammunition in a crossbow.
a short heavy shaft used as ammunition in a crossbow.
The hunter placed a bolt on the crossbow string.
crossbow bolt
A museum case displayed iron bolts from the fifteenth century.
historical weapon sense
One bolt struck the wooden shield beside the gate.
Ravi carved practice bolts for the school history show.
- quarrel
older technical word for a square-headed crossbow bolt.
- arrow
broader and more familiar, but less exact for crossbows.
- projectile
formal umbrella term for something shot through the air.
- target
the thing aimed at rather than the thing fired.
文法句型
shoot a bolt
crossbow bolt
iron bolt
用法筆記
This is a historical or fantasy-world sense. In modern everyday English, people often just say 'arrow' unless the crossbow detail matters.
6. a sudden run towards a place, usually because someone or something is trying to
a sudden run towards a place, usually because someone or something is trying to get away fast.
At the fire alarm, there was a bolt for the nearest exit.
make a bolt for + place
The rabbit made a bolt across the road and vanished.
a bolt across + place
Yusuf saw the dog and took a bolt for the fence.
A quick bolt for the stairs saved Mei from the angry bull.
- pause
a stop instead of a sudden burst of movement.
文法句型
make a bolt for
take a bolt for
a bolt across
用法筆記
Often appears in the pattern 'make a bolt for ...'. It focuses on the act itself, while verb sense 1 describes the movement as an action.
bolt — verb
1. to rush away or move off very fast, often because something scares you or becaus
to rush away or move off very fast, often because something scares you or because you want to escape.
The horse bolted when a truck backfired beside the field.
animal subject + bolt
At the sight of police, the thief bolted into the market.
bolt into + place
Noa bolted upstairs after hearing glass break in the kitchen.
When the cage door opened, the parrot bolted across the room.
文法句型
bolt into + place
bolt across + place
bolt upstairs/outside/away
用法筆記
Common with animals, frightened people, and thieves. Often followed by a direction phrase such as into, across, upstairs, or away.
常見錯誤
2. to swallow food very fast, with little chewing because you are hungry, rushed, o
to swallow food very fast, with little chewing because you are hungry, rushed, or not paying attention.
Diego bolted his noodles before the school bus arrived.
bolt + food
The dog bolted the meat and asked for more.
During lunch break, workers bolted sandwiches beside the van.
Leila bolted down her rice and ran back to class.
文法句型
bolt + food
bolt down + food
用法筆記
Object is usually solid food. In everyday speech, 'bolt down' is especially common.
常見錯誤
3. to shut a door, gate, or window by pushing a bar across it; a door or gate can a
to shut a door, gate, or window by pushing a bar across it; a door or gate can also bolt in this way.
Theo bolted the kitchen door before the storm got worse.
bolt the door
From inside the hut, someone bolted the shutters at sunset.
bolt + shutters
The old gate bolted easily even in cold weather.
Rashida bolted herself in the bathroom and cried.
文法句型
bolt the door
bolt the shutters
bolt yourself in
用法筆記
Mostly used for doors, gates, shutters, and some windows that have a sliding bar. Distinguish from ordinary 'lock', which can also refer to keys, codes, or electronic systems.
常見錯誤
4. to hold something firmly in place by putting bolts through it, often into anothe
to hold something firmly in place by putting bolts through it, often into another solid surface.
Workers bolted the metal frame to the concrete floor.
bolt + noun + to
The seats are bolted down for safety during takeoff.
be bolted down
Omar bolted the shelf onto the wall studs.
Two heavy plates were bolted together at the factory.
文法句型
bolt + noun + to/onto
bolt down + noun
be bolted together
用法筆記
Common in building, repair, and transport contexts. The thing fixed is usually heavy or solid, not light paper or cloth.
常見錯誤
bolt — adverb
1. with the body suddenly or fully straight, especially when someone sits or stands
with the body suddenly or fully straight, especially when someone sits or stands with no bend at all.
Mei woke bolt upright when thunder shook the bedroom windows.
wake bolt upright
At the strange noise, the old dog sat bolt upright.
sit bolt upright
Theo stood bolt upright as the head teacher entered.
In the dark tent, everyone was suddenly bolt upright.
- slumped
with the body bent or fallen forward.
文法句型
wake bolt upright
sit bolt upright
stand bolt upright
用法筆記
Mostly found in the fixed phrase 'bolt upright'. It often suggests shock, fear, or instant attention.
2. straight to a place or in one direct line, without delay or turning aside.
straight to a place or in one direct line, without delay or turning aside.
After the call, Quinn drove bolt to the pharmacy for baby medicine.
drive bolt to + place
The messenger rode bolt to the harbor with the king's letter.
ride bolt to + place
At the whistle, both boys ran bolt across the field to the river.
The arrow flew bolt through the open kitchen window.
- indirectly
not by the shortest or most direct route.
文法句型
go bolt home
ride bolt to + place
run bolt for + place
用法筆記
Rare outside older or literary-style English. It usually follows verbs of motion such as go, ride, run, drive, or roll.