boult
Definition
Noun (archaic):
- A variant spelling of "bolt," referring to a type of sieve or screen used for sifting flour or other fine materials.
Verb (archaic):
- To sift or sieve: To pass through a sieve or screen to separate fine particles from coarse ones, especially in milling or food preparation.
- To examine or investigate thoroughly: To scrutinize or analyze something in detail, as if sifting out impurities or hidden elements.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- The miller used a fine boult to separate the bran from the flour. (A sieve for sifting grain.)
Verb:
- She boulted the flour twice to ensure it was perfectly smooth. (She sifted the flour.)
- The detective boulted the evidence, searching for any clue. (He examined the evidence thoroughly.)
Advanced Usage
- "to boult to the bran": To investigate or examine something in the most minute detail, leaving nothing unexamined.
- He boulted the contract to the bran before signing. (He scrutinized every detail of the contract.)
Variants and Related Words
Boulter (n): A person who sifts or sieves, especially in a mill.
- The boulter worked diligently to produce fine flour. (The sifter.)
Boulting (n/adj): The act or process of sifting; also, the material that has been sifted.
- The boulting of the grain took several hours. (The sifting process.)
Synonyms
- Sieve: A utensil for sifting.
- Sift: To pass through a sieve.
- Scrutinize: To examine closely.
Related Idioms
- Boult it out: To extract or reveal something by careful examination.
- We need to boult out the truth from his confusing story. (To extract the truth by analysis.)
Note: "Boult" is an archaic or dialectal word, rarely used in modern English except in historical or specialized contexts (e.g., milling). It is a variant of "bolt" (as in "bolt the flour").