What does "bolo" mean?
A long, heavy, single-edged machete.
Bolo
/ˈboʊ.loʊ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A long, heavy, single-edged machete.
- Grammar: bolo is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: bola, bola tie, bolo knife, bolo tie.
- Useful contrasts: blunt tool, standard necktie.
- Usage evidence: He jerked me off balance and the hand with the brass knucks came around in a looping bolo punch.
How to use "bolo"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bolo" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bolo" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bolo" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bolo" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bolo" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bola" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bolo", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A long, heavy, single-edged machete.
- 2 A soldier not capable of the minimum standards of marksmanship.
- 3 A string or leather necktie secured with an ornamental slide.
- 4 A request for law enforcement officers to be on the lookout for a suspect. US
- 5 A broadcast issued from a law enforcement agency to others, typically containing information about a wanted suspect, a person of interest, or a related vehicle. US, abbreviation, acronym
"William Davis Jr. admitted he had been drinking and driving, but he said he shouldn’t have been caught. Even though police had issued a BOLO or “be on the lookout” for his car and an officer testified Davis made several traffic violations, he said there wasn’t enough probable cause for the initial traffic stop that turned into a DUI. […] Davis said he should not have been stopped because the BOLO for his car was not checked out before he was pulled over, but Justice Cornelia Clark pointed out that shouldn’t matter."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Clipping of Bolshevik. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
"[G]round strafing, however, was as exciting as in France, particularly when it was carried out dozens of miles behind the Bolo lines."
- 7 long heavy knife with a single edge; of Philippine origin wordnet
- 8 A type of punch; an uppercut. attributive
"He jerked me off balance and the hand with the brass knucks came around in a looping bolo punch."
- 9 a cord fastened around the neck with an ornamental clasp and worn as a necktie wordnet
Verb
- 1 To cleave or dismember (a person or an animal) with a bolo knife. transitive
""In the first place," began Drina, "you are to lie down flat on the floor and creep about and show us how the Moros wriggle through the grass to bolo our sentinels." […] Selwyn, sitting up rumpled and cross-legged on the floor, after having boloed Drina to everybody's exquisite satisfaction, looked around at the sudden rustle of skirts to catch a glimpse of a vanishing figure—a glimmer of ruddy hair and the white curve of a youthful face, half-buried in a muff."
- 2 To fail to meet the minimum standards of marksmanship.
- 3 To dress (somebody) in a bolo. nonce-word, transitive
"Selwyn, sitting up rumpled and cross-legged on the floor, after having boloed Drina to everybody's exquisite satisfaction, looked around at the sudden rustle of skirts to catch a glimpse of a vanishing figure—a glimmer of ruddy hair and the white curve of a youthful face, half-buried in a muff."
Proper Noun
- 1 A barangay of Roxas, Capiz, Philippines.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
blunt toolstandard necktie
Example
"He jerked me off balance and the hand with the brass knucks came around in a looping bolo punch."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bolo"?
Common synonyms include: bola, bola tie, bolo knife, bolo tie, bush knife, cord necktie.
How do you use "bolo" in a sentence?
He jerked me off balance and the hand with the brass knucks came around in a looping bolo punch.
How do you pronounce "bolo"?
Pronounced /ˈboʊ.loʊ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Philippine Spanish bolo, from Tagalog bolo.
Etymology 2
Supposedly named after Bolo Pascha, a German agent in France during World War I.
Etymology 3
From Argentine Spanish boleadora (“lariat”).
Etymology 4
An acronym of be on the lookout.
Etymology 5
Acronym of be on the lookout.