bolthole means 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. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.
Why “bolthole” is a great word
A private place of retreat or escape, such as a hidden cabin or secondary residence used to evade the clamour of daily life. Its etymology is bluntly Anglo-Saxon: from bolt (meaning to move suddenly or flee) and hole (an opening). Unlike a sanctuary, which implies a hallowed, inviolable safety, or a hideout, which suggests evasion from pursuit, a bolthole is a pragmatic, often secretive haven from mere pressure. It is the forgotten attic room with a single dormer window, the coastal cottage known only by its grid reference, or the basement workshop where the world’s demands cannot follow—a modest claim staked against the tyranny of the expected, and a private admission that survival is not a sin.
Etymology
From bolt + hole.
noun
- 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.“Eragon: They may try to slip past us and escape Helgrind through the entrance we used. Saphira: They probably have a bolt-hole at ground level.”
- A hidden place of emergency refuge.“There was a guard at the front doors. He was smoking a cigarette; she'd seen the light from a great distance. They'd grown incautious in the absence of her continual raids, probably imagining she'd died of some viral infection alone in one of the countless caves ringing the forest. She'd seen their hunting parties canvassing the area, had prepared a few extra boltholes in case they found the one s”
- A second home, etc., where one can seek an escape or refuge from the stresses of everyday life.“a bolthole in the Dordogne”