bulbous

adjective

bul·​bous ˈbəl-bəs How to pronounce bulbous (audio)
1
: having a bulb : growing from or bearing bulbs
2
: resembling a bulb especially in roundness
a bulbous nose
bulbously adverb

Examples of bulbous 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.
This further makes the case for new H&M home finds like the Bubbly Stoneware Bowl, whose bulbous nature will play off the linearity of your bookshelves and end tables exceptionally well. Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2025 The Xenomorph is a person inside a Xenomorph suit with its gruesome bulbous head and alien drool. Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2025 One massive rehab, in the early 1880s under Chester Alan Arthur, added bulbous Gilded Age gaslight chandeliers that dominated the state rooms. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Aug. 2025 One local piazza contains marble statues of a giant wine bottle opener, a bulbous stick-figure robot, a Cadillac that looks 3D printed. Meara Sharma, The Dial, 22 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for bulbous

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bulbous was in 1578

Cite this Entry

“Bulbous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bulbous. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

bulbous

adjective
bulb·​ous
ˈbəl-bəs
1
: having a bulb : growing from or bearing bulbs
2
: resembling a bulb in being rounded or swollen
a bulbous nose

Medical Definition

bulbous

adjective
bul·​bous ˈbəl-bəs How to pronounce bulbous (audio)
: resembling a bulb especially in roundness or the gross enlargement of a part
the bulbous expansion at the base of a hair

More from Merriam-Webster on bulbous

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