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.
Here’s how: The value of the Higgs field that pervades all of space would have to increase—something physicists liken to rolling a boulder up a hill. Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 May 2025 On Thursday, his approach shot went way left — nestling in a little patch of grass between the stream and a boulder. Jordan Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 17 May 2025 Among the sites where Frazier would like to nail one up: the childhood homes of John F. Kennedy and Sonia Sotomayor; the playground where hip-hop found its form; a glacial-erratic boulder that barely escaped Robert Moses’s bulldozers; the scene of a murder that led to a 10-year gang truce. The Atlantic, 15 May 2025 Photos shared with the Facebook post show her sitting, standing and even napping from atop a boulder. Sara Schilling, Sacbee.com, 15 May 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 24 May. 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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