Boulder
/ˈboʊl.dər/noun
A large rounded rock, especially one worn smooth by water or weathering.
Did you know?The word is probably related to a pre-English Germanic root for a swelling or rounded lump, which is why it feels less like a poetic name and more like a thing that has pushed itself up from the ground.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*buldō- / *buldraz
“A swelling, lump, or rounded mass.”
Old English
OE
bula
“A bubble, swelling, or rounded protuberance.”
Middle English
ME
bolder / boulder
“A large rounded stone or mass.”
16th–17th Century
English
boulder
“A large stone, especially one rounded by natural forces.”
Modern English
English
boulder
“A very large rock or rounded stone.”