Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

bouillon

American  
[bool-yon, -yuhn, boo-yawn] / ˈbʊl yɒn, -yən, buˈyɔ̃ /

noun

  1. a clear, usually seasoned broth made by straining water in which beef, chicken, etc., has been cooked, or by dissolving a commercially prepared bouillon cube or cubes in hot water.

bouillon British  
/ ˈbuːjɒn /

noun

  1. a plain unclarified broth or stock

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bouillon

1650–60; < French, equivalent to bouill ( ir ) to boil 1 + -on noun suffix

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The bouillon used as a base for the soup can be made in advance, but everything else must be prepared on site.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

If the patient is able to swallow, they might make them drink a quarter cup of water containing four dissolved bouillon cubes—which honestly sounds not bad.

From Slate • Aug. 17, 2025

Broth: I have a favorite bouillon cube that I use in place of liquid broth for this recipe called Not Chicken by Edward & Sons.

From Salon • Nov. 30, 2023

Colombian cooks use the milk as the base of a coarse, bright-yellow sauce laced with bouillon powder and a packet of annatto-heavy sazón.

From Washington Times • Jul. 26, 2023

The line started to disperse, except a couple of people who actually wanted the bouillon and bread special.

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.