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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Spend the day hiking among the boulders, arches, and jagged peaks of the Alabama Hills, where a number of movies, including The Lone Ranger, Gladiator, and Django Unchained, were filmed, before heading north. Jessie Beck, AFAR Media, 17 July 2025 On Bouvet, snow petrels build their nests in rocky crevices on cliff faces, scree slopes and beneath boulders, which offer shelter from the fierce winds. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025 King Sisyphus was cursed to spend his afterlife pushing a boulder up a hill. John Wiswell, People.com, 3 July 2025 Midnight Hole – Great Smoky Mountains, NC Why go: A dreamy, deep swimming hole with emerald water, surrounded by boulders and shaded forest. Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for boulder

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

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Cite this Entry

“Boulder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boulder. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

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

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