bolt
26
4.4
- noun
- /boʊlt/
- Just as I was getting ready to leave, though, I heard the rasp of bolts sliding back.
Examples
-
A vault door has 20 bolts, each an inch in diameter.
-
I lay in the dark and held my breath, listening to the bedroom door's bolt strain against the frame.
Fiction book (1997) -
So then put the bolt in the hole here.
-
What we got, man, what we got, I got just some type of little bolt, nothing crazy.
-
The bolt goes in the receiver.
-
I never heard the key turn in the lock... ...and I never heard the snap of the bolt.
-
So you can put those little security little bolts through there.
-
First you push this up, latch it, and then you have to secure these bolts in place.
-
The inner hatch was fixed in place with six large bolts which had to be manually unscrewed with a wrench.
-
The bolt slid smoothly into place, locking the door securely behind them.
Synonyms
11
4.6
A strong metal bar that you move with a key or knob to lock a door
1
4.2
A metal bar you slide to lock and unlock a door or gate
1
4.5
A metal bar on a door that you lock from inside to stop people entering
1
5.1
A metal bar you move to lock a door or gate
Idioms
Compounds
15
3.9
A strong tool with long handles and heavy jaws for cutting metal, like locks or chains
12
2.1
A sudden bright flash in the sky during a storm that often comes before thunder
5
2.0
Two metal pieces, a bolt and a matching nut, that hold parts together by screwing
- Specialized
1
6.7
A metal rod with a round head and partial threads used to join wood through a hole
- Specialized
1
6.9
A metal screw with a spring part that opens inside a hollow wall to hold heavy items
- US
1
6.7
A heavy screw with a large head that joins wood pieces when you turn it with a wrench
- Specialized
1
6.8
A small metal piece with a round or flat head that holds metal parts together
- Jargon
1
4.8
An extra product you add to an existing system to give it new features
- Specialized
1
4.1
A metal rod with a square or six-sided head and threads that you turn with a wrench
- Specialized
1
5.3
A metal part that spreads inside a hole to hold heavy things to concrete or brick
- Jargon
An extra feature you add to a product or system to make it work better
How Secure
Surface Forms
Etymology
The bolt in a lock is the sliding metal bar that fits into the frame to keep a door closed, from an old word for a bar or beam. That is why the bolt is what actually secures the door.