Etymology From Middle English colt, from Old English colt, from Proto-Germanic *kultaz (“plump; stump; thick shape, bulb”), from Proto-Indo-European *gelt- (“something round, pregnant belly, child in the womb”), from *gel- (“to ball up, amass”). Cognate with Faroese koltur (“colt, foal”) Norwegian kult (“treestump”), Swedish kult (“young boar, piglet, boy, lad”) / Swedish kulting (“piglet”). Related to child.
The petty vices of boys are like the innocent kicks of colts, as yet imperfectly broken.1857, Herman Melville, chapter XXII, in The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade:
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A young crane (bird).
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Figuratively A youthful or inexperienced person; a novice.
Ay, that's a colt indeed, for he doth nothing but / talk of his horse, and he makes it a great appropriation to / his own good parts that he can shoe him himself.c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], line 38:
Etymology From Middle English colt, from Old English colt, from Proto-Germanic *kultaz (“plump; stump; thick shape, bulb”), from Proto-Indo-European *gelt- (“something round, pregnant belly, child in the womb”), from *gel- (“to ball up, amass”). Cognate with Faroese koltur (“colt, foal”) Norwegian kult (“treestump”), Swedish kult (“young boar, piglet, boy, lad”) / Swedish kulting (“piglet”). Related to child.
Never talk on't: / She hath been colted by him.1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv], line 133:
What a plague mean ye to colt me thus?c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], line 36:
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To frisk or frolic like a colt; to act licentiously or wantonly.
They shook off their bridles and began to colt.1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC:
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Obsolete, Slang To haze (a new recruit), as by charging a new juryman a "fine" to be spent on alcoholic drink, or by striking the sole of his foot with a board, etc.
We watched our opportunity, seized him, and, laying him across a chest, we colted him with a boot-jack until we nearly killed him, he at the time suffering from numerous boils in the nates; and for all this he obtained no redress!1849, The Lancet, page 53:
[…] his first appearance the jury duly "colted" him.1923, Notes and Queries, page 153:
Etymology From colt, as a nickname or occupational name for someone who looked after horses and asses. The given name may also be short for Colton. The revolver is named after American inventor Samuel Colt (1814–1862).
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A revolver (gun) (from Colt's Manufacturing Company), associated especially but not exclusively with the American Wild West.
He shaved and managed to pull on a clean shirt and trousers. He put a fresh clip in his Beretta and wrapped the Colt in his discarded shirt and put it in his suitcase.1954, Ian Fleming, “True or False?”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 87:
Only in it she held a derringer in her hand, not a Colt. But that look of disbelief on Leonard's face could not have been more real.1993, Judith Pella, Frontier Lady (Lone Star Legacy Book #1), Baker Books, →ISBN:
3 more examples
He saw the shotgunner stagger into the lingering cloud of smoke. He jumped to his feet before the man could reload and charged toward him. The man dropped his shotgun and clawed for his pistol, a blueblack hole in his left leg, near the groin. John stopped and fired his Colt, aiming for the man's heart. But Luke's left leg gave way and tilted him sideways, so the bullet from John's gun struck his right shoulder, spun him like a top. His pistol slipped from his hand.2007, Jory Sherman, The Savage Gun, Penguin, →ISBN:
His soldier's instinct had him dropping to the ground before he even thought of it, and Captain Hargreaves fired his Colt. The bullet zoomed over Butsko's head and whacked in the chest of the hapless soldier who'd been standing behind him. Butsko rolled over on the ground, stopped, and brought his rifle quickly to his shoulder as Captain Hargreaves fired again, his bullet burrowing in the muck six inches from Butsko's face. Butsko fired at Captain Hargreaves ...2013, Len Levinson, River of Blood, →ISBN:
Clint snap-aimed and fired his Colt. The man's stetson whirled off his head. So did part of his skull. The second gunman bounced up and fired a shot at the Gunsmith. The bullet struck the dead flesh of Clint's cover. The Gunsmith fired back and saw a crimson spider appear at the man's shoulder. The gunman groaned and bolted for the side exit. Clint pointed his Colt and squeezed the trigger. The hammer struck the firing pin and drove it into an empty chamber.2014, J.R. Roberts, Gundown in Paradise, →ISBN: