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sliding bolt

sliding bolt

4.2
A metal bar you slide to lock and unlock a door or gate
  • noun
translation icon : cerrojo deslizante
  • She secured the shed by locking the sliding bolt into place every night.

Examples

  • The old wooden door still had a sturdy sliding bolt instead of a modern lock.

  • He reached up and pushed the sliding bolt across before going to bed.

  • She secured the door with a sliding bolt.

  • The sliding bolt was rusty and hard to move.

  • He reached up and pushed the sliding bolt across before going to bed.

  • The old wooden door still had a sturdy sliding bolt instead of a modern lock.

  • She secured the shed by locking the sliding bolt into place every night.

Synonyms

bolt
vssliding bolt
61 4.4

A metal bar that slides into a door or window to lock it

is moved by hand without a key or handle
slide bolt
vssliding bolt
5.1

A metal bar you move to lock a door or gate

is identical in function but uses a different word form

How Secure

deadbolt
14 4.6
doorlock
1.8
sliding bolt
4.2
latch
49 2.6
chain
184 1.0

Surface Forms

sliding bolt singular
sliding bolts plural

Morphology

sliding + bolt

The meaning 'a metal bar that moves to lock or unlock a door' is directly derivable from 'sliding' (moving smoothly) + 'bolt' (a fastening bar), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the compound sense. This is a literal, productive modifier+noun compound following common cross-linguistic patterns, making it transparent.

Etymology

Sliding bolt comes from a very simple door piece: a bolt is a metal bar that slides across into a hole or catch to hold a door shut. That's why the name means the metal bar used to 'lock' or 'secure' a door.