bolts
bolts — adverb
1. with the body held very straight and stiff
with the body held very straight and stiff
The child sat bolts upright when thunder shook the window.
sat bolts upright
Mina was bolts upright in bed before the alarm had finished ringing.
bolts upright in bed
The guard stood bolts upright beside the museum door.
stood bolts upright
Everyone turned when the old chair made him sit bolts upright.
- sit bolts upright
- stand bolts upright
- bolts upright in bed
- slumped
with the body bent or collapsed forward
Grammar Patterns
sit bolts upright
stand bolts upright
Usage Note
This adverb is uncommon except in the phrase 'bolt upright' or 'bolts upright', meaning suddenly or stiffly straight.
2. in a direct line, without turning aside
in a direct line, without turning aside
The frightened horse ran bolts across the yard and through the open gate.
ran bolts across
The arrow flew bolts ahead instead of curving with the wind.
flew bolts ahead
In the old story, the messenger rides bolts to the castle.
rides bolts to
A narrow path led bolts through the field to the river.
- go bolts ahead
- run bolts across
- lead bolts through
- indirectly
not in a straight or direct way
Grammar Patterns
go bolts toward something
run bolts ahead
Usage Note
This sense is rare and old-fashioned. In modern everyday English, use 'straight' or 'directly'.
bolts — noun
- boltssingular
- boltsesplural
1. bars that slide across doors or windows to keep them shut
bars that slide across doors or windows to keep them shut
The caretaker checked the door bolts before leaving the hall.
door bolts
Two old bolts held the stable door closed during the storm.
bolts held the door closed
Kaito slid the bolts into place after the shop closed.
slid the bolts
The window bolts were rusty but still worked well.
- door bolts
- window bolts
- slide the bolts
- security bolts
- latches
similar door fasteners, often lighter than bolts
Grammar Patterns
door bolts
slide the bolts
bolts on a window
Usage Note
This sense refers to locking hardware, not to screws or lightning.
2. metal fasteners with a threaded end, usually tightened with nuts
metal fasteners with a threaded end, usually tightened with nuts
The mechanic tightened the bolts under the bicycle seat.
tightened the bolts
Please keep the small bolts and nuts in the same plastic bag.
bolts and nuts
Several bolts were missing from the metal shelf.
bolts were missing
The bridge crew replaced the loose bolts after the inspection.
- nuts and bolts
- loose bolts
- tighten bolts
- anchor bolts
Grammar Patterns
bolts and nuts
tighten the bolts
bolts for something
Usage Note
A bolt is normally used with a nut. A screw usually cuts or grips into the material itself.
Common Mistakes
Do not call every small metal fastener a bolt. A bolt usually has a nut or a threaded hole that secures it.
3. sudden bright flashes of lightning in the sky
sudden bright flashes of lightning in the sky
Bolts of lightning lit the beach before the rain arrived.
bolts of lightning
We counted three lightning bolts over the hills.
lightning bolts
The storm sent blue-white bolts across the evening sky.
bolts across the sky
Dara photographed the jagged bolts from a safe place indoors.
- bolts of lightning
- lightning bolts
- jagged bolts
- flashes
less vivid and more general
Grammar Patterns
bolts of lightning
lightning bolts
Usage Note
The common phrase is 'a bolt of lightning'.
4. trade-size lengths of fabric or wall covering wound around a core
trade-size lengths of fabric or wall covering wound around a core
The tailor stacked three bolts of linen beside the cutting table.
bolts of linen
New bolts of fabric arrived at the costume workshop.
bolts of fabric
The decorator measured the wallpaper bolts before placing the order.
wallpaper bolts
Anya chose two bright bolts for the theatre curtains.
- bolts of cloth
- bolts of fabric
- wallpaper bolts
- rolls
more general; does not specify the cloth or wallpaper trade
Grammar Patterns
bolts of cloth
bolts of fabric
wallpaper bolts
Usage Note
This technical retail sense is common in fabric shops and wallpaper stores.
5. short heavy arrows made for crossbows or similar old weapons
short heavy arrows made for crossbows or similar old weapons
The museum displayed iron crossbow bolts beside the old weapon.
crossbow bolts
The game lets players collect bolts for a wooden crossbow.
bolts for a crossbow
Medieval soldiers carried spare bolts in a leather case.
spare bolts
Each bolt was shorter and heavier than a hunting arrow.
- crossbow bolts
- fire bolts
- spare bolts
Grammar Patterns
crossbow bolts
shoot bolts
bolts from a crossbow
Usage Note
This sense is historical or used in games and fantasy writing.
6. sudden attempts to run away or reach something quickly
sudden attempts to run away or reach something quickly
When the gate opened, two goats made bolts for the vegetable patch.
made bolts for
The children made a bolt for the exit when the bell rang.
made a bolt for
Several sudden bolts from the crowd worried the security team.
sudden bolts
The rabbit's quick bolt across the path surprised the hikers.
- make a bolt for
- sudden bolt
- bolt for the door
Grammar Patterns
make a bolt for something
a bolt for the door
Usage Note
The common expression is 'make a bolt for something', meaning to run toward it suddenly, often to escape.
7. sliding parts in some guns that move cartridges into and out of the firing chamb
sliding parts in some guns that move cartridges into and out of the firing chamber
The instructor showed how rifle bolts move the cartridge into place.
rifle bolts
Clean bolts carefully before storing old sporting rifles.
clean bolts
Damaged bolts can stop a firearm from loading safely.
damaged bolts
The collector checked the bolt on each rifle before the sale.
- rifle bolt
- bolt-action rifle
- clean the bolt
- actions
broader firearm term; includes the mechanism around the bolt
Grammar Patterns
rifle bolts
clean the bolt
bolt-action rifle
Usage Note
This technical sense is mostly used when discussing firearm mechanisms.
bolts — verb
- boltspresent simple I / you / we / they
- boltses3rd person singular
- boltsing-ing form
- boltsedpast simple
1. runs away suddenly or moves very fast, often because of fear
runs away suddenly or moves very fast, often because of fear
The horse bolts whenever a truck backfires near the field.
horse bolts
A deer bolts from the trees as soon as it hears voices.
bolts from
The puppy bolts for the kitchen when it smells dinner.
bolts for
During the drill, nobody bolts toward the stairs without instructions.
- horse bolts
- bolts from
- bolts for the door
- bolts away
- stays
does not leave
Grammar Patterns
bolts from something
bolts for something
bolts away
Usage Note
As a verb, 'bolts' is the third-person singular present form: 'the horse bolts', 'she bolts'.
Common Mistakes
Do not use an object with this intransitive sense. Say 'the dog bolts from the yard', not 'the dog bolts the yard'.
2. eats food too quickly, often without chewing enough
eats food too quickly, often without chewing enough
Rosa bolts her breakfast when the morning bus is early.
bolts her breakfast
My brother bolts down noodles and then complains of stomachache.
bolts down + food
The puppy bolts its food unless we use a slow-feeder bowl.
bolts its food
Niels never bolts lunch before a long swim practice.
- bolts breakfast
- bolts down lunch
- bolts food
- wolfs down
informal and vivid
- gobbles
eats quickly and greedily
- savors
eats slowly while enjoying the food
Grammar Patterns
bolts + food
bolts down + food
Usage Note
The phrasal form 'bolt down' is common for this meaning.
3. secures an opening by pushing a sliding bar into place
secures an opening by pushing a sliding bar into place
The shopkeeper bolts the back door at nine every night.
bolts the back door
Sonia bolts the window before she leaves the cabin.
bolts the window
The driver bolts the side gate shut after loading the boxes.
bolts + object + shut
This latch bolts from the inside, so keep the key nearby.
- bolts the door
- bolts the window
- bolts shut
- unbolts
opens by sliding the bolt back
Grammar Patterns
bolts the door
bolts the window
bolts something shut
Usage Note
Use this when the lock works by sliding a bar into place.
4. fastens one thing to another with metal bolts
fastens one thing to another with metal bolts
The builder bolts the steel plate to the wall frame.
bolts A to B
A technician bolts the seat onto the ride before testing it.
bolts + object + onto
The company bolts each machine to the floor for safety.
bolts each machine to
Rafi bolts the bracket in place with a socket wrench.
- bolts to the wall
- bolts onto the frame
- bolts in place
- unbolts
removes the bolts or separates the parts
Grammar Patterns
bolts A to B
bolts something onto something
bolts something in place
Usage Note
This sense is about joining objects with hardware bolts, not about locking a door.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
When an animal or person bolts, the movement is sudden and often caused by fear or urgency. Dashes also means moving quickly, but it does not always suggest fear. Flees strongly suggests escaping danger. Runs is the broadest word and can describe ordinary movement without any suddenness.
Common collocations
Nouns
- door bolts
- window bolts
- anchor bolts
- lightning bolts
- crossbow bolts
Verbs
- tighten bolts
- slide the bolts
- bolts the door
- bolts down food
Phrases
- nuts and bolts
- bolts of lightning
- bolts of cloth
- make a bolt for
- bolt upright
Adjectives
- loose bolts
- rusty bolts
- spare bolts
Etymology
First known use
12th century
12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b Verb (1)