bolthole (also bolt-hole)
noun

- a place that you can go to when you want to get away from your usual life and escape from other people

- if you say that someone has a bolt-hole to go to, you mean that there is somewhere that they can go when they want to get away from people that they know

Cambridge Dictionary / Collins CoBuild Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

The term "bolthole" has its roots in the language and culture of 19th-century Britain. It originally referred to a hole that a small animal, such as a rabbit or a fox, would bolt into when feeling threatened. In other words, it was a quick escape route or a safe place to retreat to.

The term was later adapted to human contexts and came to be used metaphorically to refer to a place where a person could escape to, away from their regular life or stresses, or a hideaway for someone to retreat to for peace, solitude, or safety.

The noun “bolt” (a missile from a crossbow arrow's quick flight) is early 13th century, the verb derived from “bolt” has the meaning "to spring, to make a quick start". From the 1610s, “bolt” came to mean "to leave suddenly" (derived from the notion of fleeing animals or runaway horses). 

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BOLT IDIOMS

- Bolt from the blue: a sudden and unexpected event or piece of news, usually one that is shocking or unpleasant. It's derived from the notion of a lightning bolt unexpectedly striking from a clear blue sky.

- Shoot one's bolt: have expended all of one's energy or resources and thus be unable to continue.

- Bolt down: (i) to secure something firmly in place, or (ii) used when someone eats their food very quickly

- Make a bolt for it: someone suddenly running away, usually to escape from something.

- Nuts and bolts: the basic, practical details of a job or other activity. It is often used in the context of understanding the essential elements or details of a project, task, or concept.

HOLE IDIOMS

- Dig a hole for oneself: to get oneself into a difficult situation, often by saying something that makes a situation worse.

- Money burns a hole in one's pocket: someone is eager or impatient to spend money quickly.

- In the hole: in a card game, this refers to having a losing score. More broadly, it can refer to being in debt or deficit.

- Black hole: Black hole: (i) an extremely dense region of space where gravity is so intense that nothing, not even light, can escape its pull, or (ii) a place where things disappear or are lost, often used in the context of missing money or lack of information

- Hole in one: in golf, when a ball is hit from the tee into the hole with one stroke. It's often used metaphorically to indicate a perfect or exceptional achievement at the first try.

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SYNONYMS

aegis, anchorage, ark, asylum, BOLTHOLE, comfort zone, concealment, cover, den, dive, domain, earth, escape, foxhole, harborage, harbour, haven, hide-out, hideaway, hidey-hole, hiding place, holiday centre (destination, spot), lair, nest, nook, place of escape (of safety, of security, of shelter, of solitude, port (in a storm), prayer retreat, private room (space), refuge, retreat, safe harbour (haven, house, place), sanctuary, sanctum, secluded spot, secret place, shelter, snuggery, spiritual retreat, watering hole (place)

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“Which BOLTHOLE are you planning to escape to for your next vacation?"

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