jolt: Meaning and Definition of

jolt

Pronunciation: ( jōlt), [key]
— v.t.
  1. to jar, shake, or cause to move by or as if by a sudden rough thrust; shake up roughly: The bus jolted its passengers as it went down the rocky road.
  2. to knock sharply so as to dislodge: He jolted the nail free with a stone.
  3. to stun with a blow, esp. in boxing.
  4. to shock emotionally or psychologically: His sudden death jolted us all.
  5. to bring to a desired state sharply or abruptly: to jolt a person into awareness.
  6. to make active or alert, as by using an abrupt, sharp, or rough manner: to jolt someone's memory.
  7. to interfere with or intrude upon, esp. in a rough or crude manner; interrupt disturbingly.
—v.i.
  1. to move with a sharp jerk or a series of sharp jerks: The car jolted to a halt.
—n.
  1. a jolting shock, movement, or blow: The automobile gave a sudden jolt.
  2. an emotional or psychological shock: The news of his arrest gave me quite a jolt.
  3. something that causes such a shock: The news was a jolt to me.
  4. a sudden, unexpected rejection or defeat: Their policy got a rude jolt from the widespread opposition.
  5. a prison sentence.
  6. an injection of a narcotic.
  7. a bracing dose of something: a jolt of whiskey; a jolt of fresh air.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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