bouillon

American  

[bool-yon, -yuhn, boo-yawn] / ˈbʊl jɒn, -jən, buˈjɔ̃ /

noun

bouillons plural

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.

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bouillon British  

/ ˈbuːjɒn /

noun

1. a plain unclarified broth or stock

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bouillons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bouillon

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

Explanation

Bouillon is a clear broth made by simmering meat, fish, or vegetables in water with herbs. A nice cup of bouillon will make you feel better if you have a cold or a stomachache. Bouillon comes from a 17th-century French word that means "liquid in which something has been boiled." It is a common base for soups and stocks. Real cooks may turn up their noses, but if you don't have time to make your own, you can always use bouillon cubes when making soups and sauces. Don't confuse this word with bullion, a term for gold or silver in the form of bars or ingots.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bouillon bouillons

And because I had already used my good stock earlier in the week for pastina, I improvised with bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water and zhushed up with a little white miso and garlic powder.

From Salon ● May 12, 2026

At Unilever, brands such as Hellmann’s mayonnaise and Knorr bouillon have long been paired with personal-care icons like Dove and Axe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026

"First we look at the ingredients -- the bouillon, the vegetables," said Flang Cupido, 63, a cookery teacher taking part as a judge for the fourth time this year.

From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026

The herbs steeped, releasing their piney, slightly peppery fragrance, alongside a spoonful of chicken bouillon, which nudged the sauce firmly into savory territory.

From Salon ● Nov. 18, 2025

And he himself brought her the golden-brown bouillon, in a dainty Sèvres cup, with a flaky cracker or two on the saucer.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

Unilever’s is close to $140 billion and its food business, which also houses brands including Knorr bouillons and seasoning, could be worth tens of billions of dollars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

The word shares a root with restaurant, a term that goes back to pre-revolutionary France, when aristocrats made a show of their delicate constitutions by sipping health-giving bouillons in public dining rooms.

From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2016

Fruit soups, broths and bouillons of all kinds play an important part at German luncheons, dinners and suppers, and really some of them are delicious.

From Suppers Novel Suggestions for Social Occasions by Pierce, Paul

The most important application of inosite-free bouillon is its use in the preparation of sugar bouillons, whether glucose, maltose, lactose, or saccharose, of exact percentage composition.

From The Elements of Bacteriological Technique A Laboratory Guide for Medical, Dental, and Technical Students. Second Edition Rewritten and Enlarged. by Eyre, J. W. H. (John William Henry)

In the bouillons only one portion is served to each customer.

From Diary of the Besieged Resident in Paris by Labouchere, Henry

Related Words

• chowder
• porridge
• puree