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

Rock scrambling is a middle ground between hiking and rock climbing where people navigate boulders and rocky terrain using both hands and feet. —Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 19 Dec. 2024

Examples include boulders, logs, and other objects that conceal their outline. —Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 19 Dec. 2024

Like a large boulder dropped into a pond, there was the loud splash of Adam's sudden ugly death, and then the progressing rings of grief ripples as the news spread to more family members and friends. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

Once the cut scene begins, with a near 1:1 recreation of the sequence of the boulder dropping, things start to get ugly — literally. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024

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

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