jolt Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a sudden jarring impact
    shock; jar; jounce.
    • the door closed with a jolt
    • all the jars and jolts were smoothed out by the shock absorbers
  2. noun an abrupt spasmodic movement
    jerking; jerk; saccade.
  3. verb move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion
    jar.
  4. verb disturb (someone's) composure
    • The audience was jolted by the play

WordNet

Jolt intransitive verb
Etymology
Prob. fr. jole, joll, jowl, and orig. meaning, to knock on the head. See Jowl.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Jolted; present participle & verbal noun Jolting
Definitions
  1. To shake with short, abrupt risings and fallings, as a carriage moving on rough ground; as, the coach jolts.
Jolt transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To cause to shake with a sudden up and down motion, as in a carriage going over rough ground, or on a high-trotting horse; as, the horse jolts the rider; fast driving jolts the carriage and the passengers.
Jolt noun
Definitions
  1. A sudden shock or jerk; a jolting motion, as in a carriage moving over rough ground.
    The first jolt had like to have shaken me out. Swift.

Webster 1913