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bolo

1 American  
[boh-loh] / ˈboʊ loʊ /

noun

PLURAL

bolos

  1. a large, heavy, single-edged knife or machete for hacking, used in the Philippines and by the U.S. Army.

bolo 2 American  
[boh-loh] / ˈboʊ loʊ /

noun

PLURAL

bolos

  1. a soldier who does not meet the minimum standards of marksmanship.

  2. a clumsy or incompetent soldier.

verb (used without object)

boloed, boloing

  1. to fail to meet the minimum standards of marksmanship.

bolo 3 American  
[boh-loh] / ˈboʊ loʊ /

noun

  1. bolo tie.

BOLO 4 American  
[boh-loh] / ˈboʊˌloʊ /

abbreviation

  1. be on the lookout: an instruction or warning to law enforcement personnel, or sometimes to the general public, to be watchful for the appearance of a criminal suspect or criminal activity.

    The police issued a BOLO at 2:14 p.m., just moments after the robbery was reported.
bolo British  
/ ˈbəʊləʊ /

noun

  1. a large single-edged knife, originating in the Philippines

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bolo1

First recorded in 1900–05; from Philippine Spanish; further origin uncertain

Origin of bolo1

First recorded in 1915–20; said to be after Bolo Pascha (died 1918), German agent in France during World War I

Origin of BOLO1

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Tariffs are great," exclaims rodeo fan Guy Algozzino, who's dressed in a cowboy hat, a waistcoat and a Western-style bolo tie with an engraved image of a cowboy riding a bull.

From BBC

The bolo makes Lynch look a bit like “Blue Velvet’s” demented antagonist, Frank Booth, a rockabilly nightmare played by Dennis Hopper.

From Los Angeles Times

In a western-style suit and a bolo tie, the recently converted country artist commands the stage with an army of cowgirls in leather studded corsets.

From Los Angeles Times

Her urban polish was a contrast to the stereotypical copper country getup of checkered shirt, western-style belt buckle, bolo tie and Stetson hat.

From Los Angeles Times

“And it said: Trump Sandwich. And then it goes on to describe it. Two slices of bread, bolo — wait a minute, two slices of white bread. Bologna, and a very small pickle.”

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.