bulge

¹ American  

[buhlj] / bʌldʒ /

noun

1. a rounded projection, bend, or protruding part; protuberance; hump.

   a bulge in a wall.

2. any sudden increase, as of numbers, sales, or prices.

   the bulge in profits.

3. a rising in small waves on the surface of a body of water, caused by the action of a fish or fishes in pursuit of food underwater.

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verb (used without object)

bulged, bulging

1. to swell or bend outward; be protuberant.

   Synonyms:

   project, protrude

2. to be filled to capacity.

   The box bulged with cookies.

verb (used with object)

bulged, bulging

1. to make protuberant; cause to swell.

Bulge ² American  

[buhlj] / bʌldʒ /

noun

1. Battle of the, the final major German counteroffensive in World War II, begun December 16, 1944, and thrusting deep into Allied territory in N and E Belgium: repulsed January 1945.

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bulge ¹ British  

/ bʌldʒ /

noun

1. a swelling or an outward curve

2. a sudden increase in number or volume, esp of population

3. another name for baby boom

4. the projecting part of an army's front line; salient

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verb

1. to swell outwards

Bulge ² British  

/ bʌldʒ /

noun

1. (in World War II) the final major German counteroffensive in 1944 when the Allied forces were pushed back into NE Belgium; the Germans were repulsed by Jan 1945

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Pronunciation

See bulk ¹.

Other Word Forms

• bulginess noun
• bulging adjective
• bulgingly adverb
• bulgy adjective
• outbulge verb

Etymology

Origin of bulge

1200–50; Middle English: bag, hump < Old French < Latin bulga bag < Celtic; compare Irish bolg bag

Example Sentences

Researchers say this behavior matches predictions from the dark matter halo in their model when combined with the known mass of the Milky Way's disk and central bulge.

From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2026

After two days of underwhelming big bank earnings, Wall Street’s bulge bracket stepped up to the plate and hit a home run.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

The immigrant bulge affected California less than the East Coast cities, but still clouds comparisons of state and local trends to the rest of the nation and may have muted gains the state has made.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2025

Not long after my panicked online search, the bulge I felt when removing my menstrual cup receded back upward along with any fears I had surrounding prolapse.

From Salon • Oct. 25, 2024

The bulge in the ground, among the stones.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Related Words

• lump
• nodule
• wart