What does boulted mean?
Boulted is the archaic past tense and past participle of the verb 'boult,' a now-obsolete spelling of 'bolt' meaning to sift flour or meal through a fine woven cloth known as a bolting cloth. Before modern roller milling, ground grain contained bran and other coarse particles, and bakers achieved finer textures by passing the meal through progressively tighter fabrics; flour described as 'finely boulted' was therefore a mark of quality and refinement. The word appears frequently in medieval and early modern English sources, including historical recipes, milling regulations, and older Bible translations that speak of 'the finest of the wheat.' In contemporary English the spelling has died out entirely: the sifting sense survives, if at all, under the standard spelling 'bolted,' while everyday speakers simply say 'sifted.' As a result, boulted is encountered today mainly by readers of historical texts, students of culinary history, and enthusiasts of obsolete vocabulary.
verb (past tense/past participle)Sifted, especially flour or meal, through a fine cloth or sieve (a bolting cloth); an archaic past tense and past participle of the verb 'boult' (a variant of 'bolt').
- (of flour or meal) having been sifted through a fine cloth or sieve to remove bran and produce a finer texture
"The baker passed the grain through linen until he had a sack of finely boulted flour."
"The recipe calls for finely boulted flour, sifted twice through linen."
"Medieval millers graded their product by how thoroughly the meal had been boulted."
Before industrial milling, 'fine boulted flour' was such a luxury that centuries-old Bible translations used this very word to describe heaven's abundance — 'the finest of the wheat.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of boulted
Boulted derives from the Middle English verb 'boulten,' borrowed from Anglo-Norman and Old French 'bulter' (also spelled 'boulter'), which meant to sift flour. The ultimate deeper origin of the Old French word is uncertain, so precise claims beyond the French borrowing should be treated with caution. The spelling 'boult' with a 'u' was common in Middle and Early Modern English before 'bolt' became the standard form, and related nouns such as 'boultin' (a bolting cloth) shared the spelling. The word belongs to the specialized vocabulary of pre-industrial milling and baking.
Related word forms
How boulted is actually used
Archaic and obsolete in modern usage; today one would say 'bolted' or, more naturally, 'sifted.' Encountered almost exclusively in historical cookery books, milling records, and early modern Bible translations. The spelling 'boulted' reflects Middle English and Anglo-Norman influence.
Easily confused with boulted
'Bolted' is the standard modern spelling for both the sifting sense and the unrelated senses of 'bolt' (to run off suddenly, or to secure with a bolt), whereas 'boulted' is a now-obsolete spelling used only for the sifting sense.