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.
What are skin tags? Skin tags are generally recognizable as small, bulbous growths connected to the skin with a stalk. Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025 The island is home to some of the most iconic, and unusual, mammals on Earth, species like orangutans, pygmy elephants and proboscis monkeys with their bulbous noses. Mihir Zaveri, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025 Additional discoveries included a species of swamp eel that can survive for long periods on land, and an armored catfish with a squishy, bulbous nose. Annie Roth, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2024 Despite these accolades, her 2016 painting Simper II, feature a lone bulbous figure, sold for below its hammer price at $27,900. Angelica Villa, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near bulbous

Cite this Entry

“Bulbous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bulbous. Accessed 31 Jan. 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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