boulder

noun

boul·​der ˈbōl-dər 

variants or less commonly bowlder

: a detached and rounded or much-worn mass of rock

bouldered

ˈbōl-dərd 

adjective

bouldery

ˈbōl-d(ə-)rē 

adjective

Examples of boulder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On a hike in 2005, Flod came across a truck tire lodged between two boulders in Malibu Creek. — Ryan Steven Green, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026

On the facing page was Gompers’s block print/line drawing of the Tibetan saint and poet Milarepa sitting in a lotus position, a Sierra cup at his feet, and a Campingaz Bleuet stove resting on a boulder. — Literary Hub, 29 June 2026

Other boulders then struck the passenger side of Chavez's pickup. — Logan Smith, CBS News, 27 June 2026

The shore now alternated between open sandy or rocky beaches and jumbled boulders ranging from a foot to many feet in diameter. — Marc Terziev, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026

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

Rhymes for boulder

• bolder
• bowlder
• colder
• folder
• golder
• holder
• molder
• moulder
• older
• polder
• shoulder
• beholder

Kids Definition

boulder

noun

boul·​der ˈbōl-dər 

: a large detached and rounded or worn mass of rock

Geographical Definition

Boulder

geographical name

Boul·​der ˈbōl-dər 

city northwest of Denver in north central Colorado population 97,385