Forms: 5 bulture, -tar, 5–7 bulter, 6 north. bowter, bultre, boultar, 5– boulter, 7– bolter. [f. BOLT v.1 + -ER1: or ? a. OF. buleteor one who sifts, f. buleter to BOLT v.1]
1. One who sifts meal, etc.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 55. Bulture [1499 bultar].
c. 1450. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 688. Hic polentradinator, a bulter.
1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks., 27. John Xpofer, a boulter.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par., Pref. to King 10 a. The boulter tryeth out the branne from the mele.
2. A piece of cloth used for sifting; a sieve, strainer; a bolting-machine. Also fig.
1530. Palsgr., 462/1. I boulte meale … in a boulter.
1546. Langley, Pol. Verg. De Invent., III. i. 64 b. Bultres of lynnen in Spayne.
1564. Bauldwin, Mor. Philos. (Palfr.), 169 b. Bee not like the Boulter that casteth out the flower and keepeth in the bran.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. iii. 81. I haue giuen them away to Bakers Wiues, and they haue made Boulters of them.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Countr. Farm, 574. The temze or bolter through which they passe.
1704. Swift, T. Tub, vii. By some called the Sieves and boulters of learning.
1880. T. Hardy, Trump.-Major, II. xxii. 123. Bob opened the bolter … the result being that a dense cloud of flour rolled out.
b. The fabric used for this purpose.
1612. Naworth Househ. Bks., 43. Iij yardes of boulter, ijs. vjd.
1754. Stow’s Surv. (ed. Strype), II. V. xviii. 382/2. [Duty on] Bolters and Bewpers the dozen pieces 1d.
3. ‘A boulter or a racket to play with, reticulum.’ Withals, Dict. (1634), 615.
4. Comb., as bolter-cloth.
1586. Cogan, Haven Health (1636), 125. Scarsed through lawne or a fine boulter cloth.
