bouillon
Americannoun
-
bouillons
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing bouillon
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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.
See Examples For:
My favorite section of the neighborhood grocery store happens to be the non-perishable aisle, where boxed broths, bouillon cubes, instant noodles and other handy pantry staples live.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 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
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
"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
“Drop a bouillon cube in that cup, will you, dear? The doctor says it’ll build your father up.”
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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
These bouillons spread between two spaces of straw lace, half an inch wide, one of which forms the edge of the poke, and the other comes at the bottom of the crown.
From Harper's New Monthly Magazine No. XVI.?September, 1851?Vol. III. by Various
The good tall lady who brought me bouillons!
From Stray Pearls by Charlotte Mary Yonge
The whole of the front of the body is ornamented with rows of lace and silk-net bouillons.
From Harper's New Monthly Magazine Vol. IV, No. 19, Dec 1851 by Various
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
