boulder

noun

boul·​der ˈbōl-dər How to pronounce boulder (audio)
variants or less commonly bowlder
: a detached and rounded or much-worn mass of rock
bouldered adjective
bouldery adjective

Examples of boulder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The background of the pristine shoreline and azure sea are lush tropical greenery and large boulders. Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 The walk-in shower has a sliding glass door that leads outside and around a corner to an elegant hot tub surrounded by boulders and plants. David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2024 Nearby a flat boulder cloaked in the shade of the yawning oak trees was dimpled with grinding holes created by nameless Native Americans, decades, or even centuries, ago. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2024 Large boulders landed within a few feet of several vehicles parked near the slide, according to video from OnSceneTV. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 In Orange County, for example, big boulders have been used at areas such as San Onofre State Beach, along much of San Clemente’s coast and Capistrano Beach to try and keep the water at bay. Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 At one turn, his path was blocked by a large boulder, a hunk of sedimentary rock. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 And Ben, Reed’s best friend, is totally transformed into, well, a Thing, with giant, orange boulders for a body, giving him super strength — and a perpetual heavy heart about his seemingly monstrous appearance. Variety, NBC News, 14 Feb. 2024 Cahill shrugged and repositioned the boulder with a percussive thunk. Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boulder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

short for boulder stone, from Middle English bulder ston, partial translation of a word of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialect bullersten large stone in a stream, from buller noise + sten stone

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of boulder was in 1607

Dictionary Entries Near boulder

Cite this Entry

“Boulder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boulder. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

boulder

noun
boul·​der ˈbōl-dər How to pronounce boulder (audio)
: a large detached and rounded or worn mass of rock

Geographical Definition

Boulder

geographical name

Boul·​der ˈbōl-dər How to pronounce Boulder (audio)
city northwest of Denver in north central Colorado population 97,385

More from Merriam-Webster on boulder

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