boulder
noun
boul·der ˈbōl-dər 
variants or less commonly bowlder
: a detached and rounded or much-worn mass of rock
bouldered
ˈbōl-dərd
adjective bouldery
ˈbōl-d(ə-)rē
adjective 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Enlarge / Catching air after glitch-colliding with a boulder is probably the Saints Row reboot's most fun quality. 
Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, 22 Aug. 2022 The third-annual report from Amazon, which co-founded a net-zero climate pledge drive in 2019, offered the latest reminder to take Big Tech environmental pledges with a boulder of salt. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2022 Democrats may promise to take on other priorities in the fall, but these claims should be accepted with less of a grain and more of a hefty boulder of salt. Grace Segers, The New Republic, 15 Aug. 2022 Amber Midthunder's performance is the best thing about 'Prey' Played by Amber Midthunder in an exceptionally magnetic performance, Naru is tough and smart and has a chip on her shoulder the size of a boulder. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2022 The editing transforms these artifacts into a ravishing collage, while the film’s rollicking score makes even a shot of a boulder tumbling down a hill feel climactic. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 21 July 2022 Imagine waking up to the sound of rushing water just steps from your sleeping bag and sipping coffee on a boulder next to the stream, then spending all day swimming, paddling, and fishing. Megan Michelson, Outside Online, 12 June 2019 First, journey to the eponymous boulder via the brief one-mile out-and-back workout on the Eagle Rock Canyon Trail. Matt Pawlik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2022 Just a short while later, the 63-year-old Boston man would slip and fall on his descent from the mountain’s summit, taking a treacherous slide headfirst into a boulder. Shannon Larson, BostonGlobe.com, 8 July 2022 See More
Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, 22 Aug. 2022 The third-annual report from Amazon, which co-founded a net-zero climate pledge drive in 2019, offered the latest reminder to take Big Tech environmental pledges with a boulder of salt. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2022 Democrats may promise to take on other priorities in the fall, but these claims should be accepted with less of a grain and more of a hefty boulder of salt. Grace Segers, The New Republic, 15 Aug. 2022 Amber Midthunder's performance is the best thing about 'Prey' Played by Amber Midthunder in an exceptionally magnetic performance, Naru is tough and smart and has a chip on her shoulder the size of a boulder. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2022 The editing transforms these artifacts into a ravishing collage, while the film’s rollicking score makes even a shot of a boulder tumbling down a hill feel climactic. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 21 July 2022 Imagine waking up to the sound of rushing water just steps from your sleeping bag and sipping coffee on a boulder next to the stream, then spending all day swimming, paddling, and fishing. Megan Michelson, Outside Online, 12 June 2019 First, journey to the eponymous boulder via the brief one-mile out-and-back workout on the Eagle Rock Canyon Trail. Matt Pawlik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2022 Just a short while later, the 63-year-old Boston man would slip and fall on his descent from the mountain’s summit, taking a treacherous slide headfirst into a boulder. Shannon Larson, BostonGlobe.com, 8 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
short for boulder stone, from Middle English bulder ston, partial translation of a word of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialect bullersten large stone in a stream, from buller noise + sten stone
First Known Use
1607, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
boulder
noun
boul·der
ˈbōl-dər
: a very large rounded piece of rock
Geographical Definition
Boulder
geographical name
Boul·der ˈbōl-dər
city northwest of Denver in north central Colorado population 97,385