Etymology

deadbolt

dead·boult
D2E1A1D2B3O1L1T1

Today it means: The part of the lock which is moved when the key is engaged. Full definition →

English bolt ← Middle English bolt ← Old English bolt
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The story

  1. Englishdead
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeld-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*bʰóldos?
  4. Proto-Germanic*bultaz
  5. Proto-West Germanic*bolt
  6. Old Englishbolt
  7. Middle Englishbolt
  8. Englishbolt
  9. English todaydeadbolt

From dead + bolt.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.