Origin: 1610–20; short for boulder stone; ME bulderston < Scand; cf. dial. Sw bullersten big stone (in a stream), equiv. to buller rumbling noise (< OSw bulder) + stenstone
boul·der also bowl·der (bōl'dər) n. A large rounded mass of rock lying on the surface of the ground or embedded in the soil.
[Middle English bulder, of Scandinavian origin; see bhel-2 in Indo-European roots.]
Boul·der (bōl'dər) A city of north-central Colorado northwest of Denver. It is a major Rocky Mountains resort and the seat of the University of Colorado (opened 1877). Population: 91,500.