chiefly British
: a place of escape or refuge

Examples of bolt-hole in a Sentence

her cottage in the Lake District served as her bolt-hole whenever the stresses of London became too great
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The Broadwick Soho’s Flute James MacDonald Broadwick Soho For 57-room bolt-hole Broadwick Soho, owner Noel Hayden was inspired by his 1980s upbringing in a quirky hotel in Dorset. Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2024 Around that time, some smaller properties also debuted — boutique charmers like Castello di Vicarello, Borgo Santo Pietro, Villa Fontelunga, and the Val d'Orcia bolt-hole La Bandita Country Hotel. Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bolt-hole was circa 1851

Dictionary Entries Near bolt-hole

Cite this Entry

“Bolt-hole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bolt-hole. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!