boulder

noun boul·der \ ˈbōl-dər \

variants: or less commonly bowlder

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of boulder

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

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bouldered

play \-dərd\ adjective

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bouldery

play \-d(ə-)rē\ adjective

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Recent Examples of boulder from the Web

At its closest point, the large boulder was just 119,500 miles away from Earth's atmosphere, about half the distance between Earth and the moon, according to NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

— jennifer earl, Fox News, "Asteroid the size of a football field makes 'surprise' flyby past Earth," 16 Apr. 2018
There is no way you won’t be moved by the miraculous boulder that looms in your path.

— nick kontis, USA TODAY, "Photo tour: Australia’s iconic Uluru (aka Ayers Rock)," 16 Apr. 2018
And on the tour side, the islands’ major attraction — a series of granite boulders that emerge from the water’s edge in Virgin Gorda called the Baths — is again open.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "Two monster hurricanes battered these Caribbean islands. Now, they’re back in business | Miami Herald," 16 Apr. 2018
Sprague said in court Wednesday that the boulder on her head weighed 73 pounds.

— travis andersen, BostonGlobe.com, "Man arraigned in slaying of 15-year-old Kingston girl tried to blame another suspect for killing," 14 Mar. 2018
The boulder was the size of a mattress and was surrounded by smaller rocks to prevent anyone from taking the soil from the tomb area.

— david taylor, Houston Chronicle, "St. Patrick's celebration at St. Stephen's Episcopal, March 18," 12 Mar. 2018
An officer determined the boulder came from the 7900 block of Drew, where there was a rut in the grass.

— kimberly fornek, chicagotribune.com, "Police blotter: One Chevy stolen and one stolen Chevy found on the same block in Darien," 4 Mar. 2018
Deep morteros were carved into the granite boulders as seeds were ground into flour.

— ernie cowan outdoors, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Hike, bighorn sheep, Gold Rush Days," 17 Feb. 2018
My thoughts were more like an avalanche of boulders than a gentle descent of leaves, each one of them ominous and terrifying, and as the instructor guided us through the meditation, tears streamed down my face.

— sarah watts /, NBC News, "How 'defusing my thoughts' helped me claw my way back from debilitating anxiety," 23 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'boulder.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of boulder

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

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First Known Use: 1607

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