bolthole

bolthole

See also: bolt-hole

English

Alternative forms

• bolt-hole

Etymology

bolt +‎ hole

Noun

bolthole (plural boltholes)

1. A hole in an animal's den, or through a wall or fence, used for escape or emergency exit; i.e. a hole the animal may bolt through.
2. (figuratively) A second home, etc. where a person can go to escape the stresses of everyday life.

   a bolthole in the Dordogne

   • 1965, Herbert, Frank, Dune‎ (Science Fiction), New York: Ace Books, OCLC 15383013, page 205‎:

     “We’ll find a home among the Fremen,” Paul said, “where your Missionaria Protectiva has bought us a bolt hole.”
     They’ve prepared a way for us in the desert, Jessica told herself. But how can he know of the Missionaria Protectiva?

   • 2016 February 29, Oliver Wainwright, “Two pools, 13 bathrooms and 300 for dinner: the modernist fun palaces of Palm Springs”, in The Guardian‎:

     In the 1950s, Hollywood decamped to the desert – bankrolling the world’s most daring modernist architects to create ever more experimental boltholes.

Translations

hole used for escape

Dutch: ontsnappingsgat n Finnish: pakoaukko German: Schlupfloch (de) n

second home

Bulgarian: убежище (bg) n (ubežište) Dutch: buitenverblijf (nl) n Finnish: piilopaikka (fi), suojapaikka, turvapaikka (fi) French: refuge (fr) m, repaire (fr) m, tanière (fr) f, sanctuaire (fr) m, havre de paix m German: Unterschlupf (de) m