bulge
(bŭlj)
[Middle English, pouch, from Old French bulge, bouge, from Latin bulga, bag, of Celtic origin.]
noun
- A protruding part; an outward curve or swelling.
- Nautical A bilge.
- A sudden, usually temporary increase in number or quantity: The baby boom created a bulge in school enrollment.
- An advantage.
verb: bulged, bulg·ing, bulg·es.
transitive verb
- To cause to curve outward.
intransitive verb
- To curve outward.
- To swell up.
- To stick out; protrude.
- To be filled or overfilled: pockets bulging with coins.
derivatives
- bulǵi·ness
- noun
- bulǵy
- adjective
synonyms:
bulge, balloon, belly, jut, overhang, project, protrude These verbs mean to curve, spread, or extend outward past the normal or usual limit: a wallet bulging with money; expenses ballooning; a sail bellying in the wind; a pipe jutting from his mouth; overhanging eaves; projecting teeth; a head protruding from the window.
