Bolts

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /bəʊlts/

Definitions

1. Metal fasteners designed to join or secure items together
2. A cylindrical metal piece with external threads used to hold objects firmly by fitting into a matching nut ; a rapid, abrupt run typically made to escape or reach a destination quickly ; a sudden flash of electricity seen during a storm that illuminates the sky
3. A metal rod with helical grooves that fastens parts by screwing into a corresponding hole or nut ; a swift and unexpected sprint often done in surprise or urgency ; a bright, powerful discharge of electrical energy from clouds to the earth

Etymology: The most striking thread here is the lightning sense. For centuries people believed lightning was caused by bolts, darts or stones hurtling from the sky to the earth, so the word for a metal fastener and the word for a thunderstorm's flash share a single picture: something shot or hurled. The belief was regarded as commonplace until at least 1929, and the association between thunder, lightning and "bolts" appears in many cultures across Eurasia, far back into prehistory. The fastener sense goes back to Old English "bolt", a word that has been traced to a Proto-Germanic form, "bultaz", and perhaps further to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to knock, strike." Cognates in Dutch, German, Danish, Swedish and Icelandic all keep the sense of a short, solid object. A bolt in this older sense is a thing for striking or shooting, which links the fastener back to the projectile. The sprint sense belongs to a different word. It comes from Middle English "bulten", which passed through Anglo-Norman and Old French "bulter" (modern French "bluter"), meaning to sift. That word traces to a Germanic source meaning "bag, pouch," and to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to move quickly," which suits the idea of rushing off. The two senses are therefore distinct words that happen to share a spelling today.

Synonyms: fasteners, screws, nails, pins, studs