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• boule
  boule

  noun

  a round loaf of bread, usually with a crisp or chewy crust.
• Boule
  Boule

  noun

  the legislative assembly of modern Greece.

boule

¹ American  

[bool] / bul /

noun

1. a round loaf of bread, usually with a crisp or chewy crust.

   Divide the dough into two portions, shape into batards or boules, and place in the refrigerator to rise overnight.

2. Also called birne.  a cylindrical lump of material for synthetic gems, made by the Verneuil process.

3. a metal ball, usually made out of steel, used in pétanque.

4. Sometimes boules. pétanque.

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boule ² American  

[bool] / bul /

noun

(often initial capital letter)

1. buhl.

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Boule ³ American  

[boo-lee, boo-ley] / ˈbu li, buˈleɪ /

noun

1. the legislative assembly of modern Greece.

2. (sometimes lowercase) a state legislative, advisory, or administrative council in ancient Greece.

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boule ¹ British  

/ ˈbuːliː /

noun

1. the parliament in modern Greece

2. the senate of an ancient Greek city-state

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boule ² British  

/ buːl /

noun

1. a pear-shaped imitation ruby, sapphire, etc, made from synthetic corundum

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boule ³ British  

/ buːl /

noun

1. a round loaf of white bread

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Etymology

Origin of boule¹

First recorded in 1915–20; from French: literally, “a ball”; see origin at bowl ²

Origin of Boule³

1840–50; < Greek: a council, body of chosen ones

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boule Boule

The display also featured Dahl's personal set of boules, along with his own invention of a magnet on a string, which Dahl used for picking up each boule.

From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2025

Creative director Ian Griffiths’ mood board included silken teddies, Belle Epoque’-inspired boule coats and photos of the French novelist Colette, whose spare style, the British designer said, inspired the collection’s simplicity.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 22, 2024

Saturday morning, after a breakfast of baked eggs and Danishes at the visitor center, where classes were held, Ms. Piper laid out the curriculum, including making a wheat loaf and a sourdough boule.

From New York Times ● Mar. 6, 2023

"When I think about a boule, I want some open crumb," said Goyoaga, referring to loaves with a light interior featuring regular, consistently dispersed air pockets.

From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2022

But euboulia signifies goodness of counsel, for it is derived from the eu, good, and boule, counsel, being "a good counsel" or rather "a disposition to take good counsel."

From Summa Theologica, Part II-II (Secunda Secundae) Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province by Saint Thomas Aquinas

Harris addressed Trump’s attacks from where she was speaking on Wednesday — the historically African American sorority Sigma Gamma Rho’s 60th International Biennial Boule.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2024

Boule, he said, had other ways to address his concerns about the agent’s conduct and noted that he had filed a complaint that led to a year-long internal investigation.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 8, 2022

But Boule has also served as an informant for the U.S. government, and parts of documents filed in the high court case were redacted.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 8, 2022

Mr. Boule then sued under Bivens, saying the agent had used excessive force and violated his First Amendment rights by retaliating.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 8, 2022

The decisions of the assembly were enacted by an executive body called the Boule, or council of five hundred, which contained the closest thing ancient Athens had to members of congress.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith