bolting cloth: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2/Rare/TechnicalTechnical/Industrial/Historical
Quick answer
What does “bolting cloth” mean?
A fine, strong, plain-woven fabric, typically of silk or synthetic fibre, used as a sieve in flour milling and for other filtering purposes.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A fine, strong, plain-woven fabric, typically of silk or synthetic fibre, used as a sieve in flour milling and for other filtering purposes.
A tightly woven, gauze-like fabric used in printing, screen-making, and occasionally in fine tailoring or hat-making as a stiffening material. In historical contexts, refers to the specific cloth used in a 'bolter' to sift flour.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The term is technical and shared. The process and equipment ('bolter') are identical in both milling traditions.
Connotations
Connotes traditional craftsmanship, milling, and precision industries. May evoke a historical or artisanal context.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general language. Usage is almost exclusively confined to technical manuals, historical texts on milling, and specialized textile or printing industries.
Grammar
How to Use “bolting cloth” in a Sentence
[Verb] + bolting cloth: stretch, mount, replace, weave, manufacture[Adjective] + bolting cloth: fine, silk, synthetic, worn, traditional[Preposition] + bolting cloth: with bolting cloth, of bolting cloth, on the bolting clothVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bolting cloth” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The miller ordered a new roll of silk bolting cloth for the antique mill.
- This fine hat uses a layer of bolting cloth for its structure.
American English
- The screen printing shop sources its bolting cloth from a specialist supplier in Michigan.
- The museum displayed the old flour bolter with its original bolting cloth.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In the context of sourcing industrial textiles for milling or printing equipment.
Academic
In historical or technical papers on traditional milling technology, textile history, or printmaking techniques.
Everyday
Virtually never used. An individual might encounter it in a museum, a historical novel, or a very specialized hobby like traditional bread-making or screen printing.
Technical
Primary context. Specifications for mesh count (e.g., 'XX bolting cloth'), material composition, and tensile strength in milling, sieving, and screen printing industries.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bolting cloth”
- Misspelling as 'boulting cloth' or 'bolting clothe'.
- Using it as a general term for any strong cloth.
- Confusing it with 'bunting' (decorative flags).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but primarily in specialized contexts. Synthetic bolting cloth is used in industrial sieving and filtration. The term is also used in screen printing for the fine mesh screens.
Historically, it was made from high-quality silk due to its strength and fine weave. Today, it is more commonly made from synthetic fibres like nylon or polyester.
Bolting cloth is woven very tightly to filter fine particles like flour. Cheesecloth is woven loosely, designed to drain liquids while holding soft solids like cheese curds.
No. 'Bolting' alone refers to the process of sifting or the act of running away. The full compound noun 'bolting cloth' is required to specify the material.
A fine, strong, plain-woven fabric, typically of silk or synthetic fibre, used as a sieve in flour milling and for other filtering purposes.
Bolting cloth is usually technical/industrial/historical in register.
Bolting cloth: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbəʊl.tɪŋ ˌklɒθ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈboʊl.t̬ɪŋ ˌklɔːθ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None. The term is purely technical and does not feature in idiomatic expressions.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a baker named **Bolt**-ing using a special **cloth** to sift his flour very quickly. Bolt + ing + cloth = the cloth used for bolting/sifting.
Conceptual Metaphor
PRECISION IS A FINE MESH; PURIFICATION IS FILTRATION. The cloth is a tool for achieving purity (fine flour) and precision (detailed print) by separating the desired from the coarse.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary historical function of bolting cloth?