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 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 No expense was spared, so the house looks like a European castle with the stone exterior made up of stones pulled out of the property, and every sink in the house is a single boulder from the estate that has been cut and polished. Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 The California Coastal Commission often approves the emergency use of boulders to shore up an area battered by waves, sometimes after the revetments have already been set down, and they are rarely removed, despite them being approved just temporarily, Sekich-Quinn said. Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 The title track dropped earlier this month and is the musical equivalent of a boulder – heavy rock, no nonsense. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 23 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 19 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!