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. See baby boom
   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
   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

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

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

The female flowers, which have a slight bulge at the base, will eventually turn into fruit.

From Washington Post

Naked wires that once ran between devices and the speakers near your ears all grew an unsightly bulge packed with controls for navigating audio, answering phone calls, and adjusting the volume.

From Popular-Science

A bulge in a washing machine or dishwasher hose, for example, means it is ready to burst.

From Popular-Science

From proximity, the bulge shown in the previous view from Sterling morphs into a well-defined hook echo, which is indicative of a small area of rotation called a mesocyclone.

From Washington Post

In some geckos, the tumors grew into large bulges that could make it difficult for the animals to move and could get infected if ruptured.

From Science News

Targeting pods can bulge out a bit, and leak out unwanted signals.

From The Daily Beast

But for now, the battle of the deficit bulge seems to have been won.

From The Daily Beast

The Huffington Post wrote, “PSA: That Bulge Is Not Actually Idris Elba's Penis.”

From The Daily Beast

A photo of the studly actor Idris Elba sporting what appeared to be a huge bulge in his pants recently went viral.

From The Daily Beast

One commonly cited reason for the uprising was the combination of an economic downturn with a youth bulge in the Arab world.

From The Daily Beast

He too, then, was awake and restless, for I saw the canvas sides bulge this way and that as he moved within.

From Project Gutenberg

The temples and dome of the head seemed to bulge, as if there was too much inside for the strength of the restraining walls.

From Project Gutenberg

Presently the bulge of the boat's bow glanced along the ship's side, and Joe flung his painter.

From Project Gutenberg

No helicopters swung their blades above; there were only the bulge of a conning tower and the heavy inset glasses of the lookouts.

From Project Gutenberg

After she had tripped over two large paving-stones that had met in an upward bulge, she took more note of detail.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• lump
• nodule
• wart