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 On one side of the road, boulders, trees and cars are strewn over a large, muddy stretch of land that used to be a village of about 100 people. Emmanuel Igunza, NPR, 10 May 2024 Both Peraza and Prado were ejected from the motorcycle, causing Prado and the motorcycle to crash into a boulder. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 8 May 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 16 May. 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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