bolt-upright

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.

Perfectly upright.--Johnson. Used alike in England and the United States.


As I stood bolt-upright upon one end, one of the two ladies burst out.--Addison.

In the mean time, Shadrach stood bolt-upright, with his hands crossed before him, his nose elevated to the ceiling, and his eyes shut.--Paulding's Koningsmarke, ch. v.

Related Words