bulge

¹

[ buhlj ]

noun

1. a rounded projection, bend, or protruding part; protuberance; hump:

   a bulge in a wall.

2. any sudden increase, as of numbers, sales, or prices:

   the bulge in profits.

3. a rising in small waves on the surface of a body of water, caused by the action of a fish or fishes in pursuit of food underwater.

verb (used without object)

, bulged, bulg·ing.

1. to swell or bend outward; be protuberant.

   Synonyms: project, protrude

2. to be filled to capacity:

   The box bulged with cookies.

verb (used with object)

, bulged, bulg·ing.

1. to make protuberant; cause to swell.

Bulge

²

[ buhlj ]

noun

1. Battle of the, the final major German counteroffensive in World War II, begun December 16, 1944, and thrusting deep into Allied territory in N and E Belgium: repulsed January 1945.

bulge

¹

/ bʌldʒ /

noun

1. a swelling or an outward curve
2. a sudden increase in number or volume, esp of population
3. another name for baby boom
4. the projecting part of an army's front line; salient

verb

1. to swell outwards

Bulge

²

/ bʌldʒ /

noun

1. Battle of the Bulge
   (in World War II) the final major German counteroffensive in 1944 when the Allied forces were pushed back into NE Belgium; the Germans were repulsed by Jan 1945

Pronunciation Note

See bulk ¹.

Derived Forms

• ˈbulginess, noun
• ˈbulging, adjective
• ˈbulgy, adjective
• ˈbulgingly, adverb

Other Words From

• bulging·ly adverb
• outbulge verb outbulged outbulging

Word History and Origins

Origin of bulge¹

1200–50; Middle English: bag, hump < Old French < Latin bulga bag < Celtic; compare Irish bolg bag

Word History and Origins

Origin of bulge¹

C13: from Old French bouge , from Latin bulga bag, probably of Gaulish origin

Example Sentences

Biceps bulging out of a sleeveless shirt, sweaty scalp wrapped in a white bandana, plastered fingers on his left hand gripping a racquet.

From BBC

Not long after my panicked online search, the bulge I felt when removing my menstrual cup receded back upward along with any fears I had surrounding prolapse.

From Salon

One X user riffed on her comment by sharing a video of a green drag queen with bulging eyes.

From Salon

She has keratoconus - a condition where the cornea thins and bulges, causing distorted and blurred vision.

From BBC

He carries around a bulging sack of power tools; something clicks into place as the series settles, for the first time, into a Christmas movie.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• lump
• nodule
• wart