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 Featuring mini boulders, the aforementioned blue flowers, and a staff with metallic skulls, the scene had all the whimsy of a fantastical milieu. Peter A. Berry, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2024 The storm hit the Blue Ridge Mountains with an intensity that no meteorologist had anticipated, and sleeping Virginians awoke to find their houses buried in muddy boulders or floating down what had previously been trickling streams. Justin McBrien / Made By History, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024 This cool Pop has Indiana Jones frozen in time, escaping the enormous boulder with the Golden Idol in hand. Melissa Epifano, EW.com, 8 Oct. 2024 Ruby and Hart loved to scramble up the massive boulders in Joshua Tree State Park, and my sister Gail and brother-in-law Colin loved the surreal vistas and glorious calm away from their hectic lives in Los Angeles. Betsy Lerner, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for boulder 

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 5 Nov. 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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