boulder

¹

Or bowl·der

[bohl-der]

noun

1. a detached and rounded or worn rock, especially a large one.

Boulder

²

[bohl-der]

noun

1. a city in N Colorado.

boulder

/ ˈbəʊldə /

noun

1. a smooth rounded mass of rock that has a diameter greater than 25cm and that has been shaped by erosion and transported by ice or water from its original position

2. geology a rock fragment with a diameter greater than 256 mm and thus bigger than a cobble

Other Word Forms

• bouldered adjective
• bouldery adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of boulder¹

1610–20; short for boulder stone; Middle English bulderston < Scandinavian; compare dialectal Swedish bullersten big stone (in a stream), equivalent to buller rumbling noise (< Old Swedish bulder ) + sten stone

Word History and Origins

Origin of boulder¹

C13: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish dialect bullersten , from Old Swedish bulder rumbling + sten _stone

Example Sentences

He attempted a controlled slide to reach the safety of a trail below, but lost control, collided with a boulder, and eventually slid the length of the glacier.

From Los Angeles Times

He started sliding out of control, collided with a boulder and lost consciousness, authorities said.

From Los Angeles Times

From his front door, he can hop in a side-by-side and traverse miles of rolling sand dunes and rugged boulder piles.

From Los Angeles Times

Like Sisyphus, many Americans probably feel like they continue to push a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll down the other side.

From Salon

As young Maxwell climbed on rocks on the edge of the beach, he slipped, causing a boulder to fall on top of him, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hunk 
• ingot 
• lump 
• piece 
• plate 
• rod 
• slice 
• stone 
• strip 
• wedge