Bolt

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /bɒlt/

Definitions

1. A metal pin or rod used to fasten objects together by passing through aligned holes and secured by a nut ; a sudden, rapid movement or dash typically used in fleeing or escaping ; a lightning flash or discharge of electricity during a storm
2. A cylindrical piece of metal designed to join or secure parts by threading or locking in place ; a quick and sudden sprint or escape often caused by fear or alarm ; a bright streak of lightning seen during atmospheric electrical activity
3. A fastening device made of metal that secures materials by sliding into place or screwing in ; an abrupt, swift run to avoid danger or pursue something ; an intense and vivid flash of electricity occurring in stormy weather

Etymology: Long before it named a metal pin, "bolt" described a missile. Old English "bolt" meant a short, heavy arrow, the kind shot from a crossbow, and the Germanic root is thought to go back to a verb meaning "to knock" or "strike," which fits a thing thrown with force. Its relatives across Germanic languages still carry the sense of a bolt or pin, so the sense of a fastening grew out of the same root as the projectile. The idea of the bolt as a thunderbolt runs even deeper. Many cultures, at least across Eurasia, long believed lightning was caused by bolts, darts, or stones hurtling from the sky, and this belief was still considered commonplace until at least 1929. The word's oldest and most dramatic meaning is therefore a weapon of the gods. The sense "to sift" belongs to a separate word, "bulten," which came into Middle English from Anglo-Norman and Old French. It meant "bag" or "pouch" in its Germanic source, and the connection to sifting came through the idea of a cloth bag used to strain flour.

Synonyms: fasten, secure, attach, lock, clamp

Antonyms: release, loosen, unbind, unfasten, dismantle