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bolthole

bolthole

1 8.3
A private place to go to relax or hide from others
  • noun
  • /ˈboʊlthəʊl/
  • UK
translation icon : refugio
  • They agreed to buy a bolthole there and, after setting their hearts on a couple of remote cottages, are hoping to finalize one soon.

Examples

  • When the storm hit, they quickly sought refuge in their bolthole, a small cabin in the mountains.

  • The hoodlums had a bolthole four blocks away.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Leave the corpse of America for any bolthole.

    Blog text (9)
  • Now I think it is possible and even probable that we may have an escape bolthole in nuclear.

    Blog text (22)
  • I did a quick and quiet seal-off of the area so she wouldn't have a bolthole to her name once we got down to business.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • - Using the underground OBs as boltholes.

  • Repairs to countless cracks, spalls, and boltholes are harder to spot.

    Blog text (23)
  • After a long day at work, he often retreats to his cozy bolthole in the woods for some peace and quiet.

  • She transformed a spare room into a bolthole where she could escape the chaos of city life.

Synonyms

hiding place
vsbolthole
57 2.5

A secret place where nobody can find a person or thing

is used for both safety and private escape rather than only concealment
hideout
vsbolthole
55 4.0

A secret place where someone stays to avoid being found

is for general safe or private escape, not mainly criminal hiding
foxhole
vsbolthole
31 6.2

A small hole dug in the ground for a soldier to hide in during battle

is a general refuge for safety or privacy, not specific battlefield protection
hideaway
vsbolthole
25 5.1

A private place where someone goes to be alone

is focused on escape for safety as well as privacy rather than only solitude
hidey-hole
vsbolthole
  • Informal
1 7.5

A small secret place to keep things safe or be alone

applies to escape and privacy more broadly rather than tiny secret spots
mousehole
vsbolthole
1 7.0

A small narrow space where a person can hide

refers to larger refuges for safety or privacy rather than tiny shelter
bolt-hole
vsbolthole
8.6

A hole an animal runs into to hide from danger

is a human refuge for safety or privacy rather than mainly animal escape
cozy bolthole
vsbolthole
  • US
7.0

A small comfortable place, often private or hidden, where you go to relax and feel safe

stresses escape or secrecy more than comfort and leisure

Antonyms

1.0

Open or available to everyone, not private

Compounds

7.0

A small comfortable place, often private or hidden, where you go to relax and feel safe

How Safe

sanctuary
70 4.1
bolthole
  • UK
1 8.3
hideout
55 4.0
hiding place
57 2.5
nook
40 3.0

Surface Forms

bolthole singular
boltholes plural

Morphology

bolthole = bolt + hole (transparent) = bolt + hole

The components 'bolt' (to bolt = make a sudden escape) + 'hole' (a place) readily yield 'a place to bolt to', which matches the sense of a hiding/escape place.

Etymology

Bolthole comes from the words bolt meaning 'to run away quickly' and hole meaning 'a small hiding place'. So a bolthole is a small, private place you can escape to for safety or quiet.