A bolt is a type of screw used to hold things together, a movable side bar used to lock a door and also the part of the lock drawn back by a key. Informally, a bolt is a sudden escape. It is also a thunderbolt or a lightningbolt. As a verb, to bolt means ‘to fasten with a bolt’ and also ‘to make a sudden escape.’ In US English, in relation to politics, it means to….
You might know already that a skirt is a piece of clothing that hangs downward from the waist and is not joined between the legs, and also the part of a dress that hangs from the waist. As a slang term in US English, a woman can be called a skirt (in UK English, we would say “a bit” or “a piece” of skirt), but this would usually be considered offensive. In the plural, skirts or outskirts are…
To slide means ‘to move smoothly and in contact with a slippery surface,’ ‘to pass smoothly,’ and ‘to move without being noticed.’ To fall gradually into a certain state is also to slide and, when you let something slide, it means that you allow it to proceed naturally without interfering. As a noun, a slide is…
A sop is a piece of solid food, usually bread, used for dipping in liquid food like soups or gravies. Figuratively, anything completely soaked can be called a sop. Something of little value given to someone to keep them satisfied or quiet is also called a sop. Colloquially, a weak and foolish person is…
To droop means ‘to hang down loosely or sink,’ as from weakness, exhaustion, or because there’s no proper support. Figuratively, when we talk about spirits or morale, it means ‘to fade or flag’ and, poetically, when we talk about the sun, it means ‘to descend.’ A droop is a sagging, sinking, or hanging down…
Bulk is great size or weight and also the greatest part of something. We also use it, usually with a possessive adjective, to talk about someone’s body, especially a large and heavy body. To bulk means ‘to swell or increase in size,’ usually with the adverbs up or out, and, often with large, ‘to be of great…
You might know already that strip means ‘to remove your own or someone else’s clothes.’ More generally, it means ‘to remove the covering from something’ and even simply ‘to remove.’ It also means ‘to clear out, empty.’ Unrelatedly, a strip is a long, narrow piece of material, land, or water and, in US English, often with a definite article, also a commercial area along a road. The related verb to strip means ‘to cut something into…
A flock is a group of animals or birds that live or travel together and, figuratively, a large group of people or things. In religion, a flock is a church congregation. As a verb, to flock means ‘to gather or go in a group.’ Unrelatedly, flock is also wool or cloth refuse, usually used to stuff mattresses or upholster furniture. The verb means…