bilge
/bɪld͡ʒ/noun, verb
bilge is spelled B-I-L-G-E: 5 letters. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,187th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bilge means “The rounded portion of a ship's hull, forming a transition between the bottom and the sides” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bilge is bilges.
How many letters and syllables are in bilge?
| Letters | 5: B-I-L-G-E |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 43,187th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is bilge?
Bilge appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,187th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce bilge?
- /bɪld͡ʒ/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-bilge.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with bilge?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as bilge.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: blige.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of bilge
- bilges plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- bilging participle, present
- bilged participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bilge mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The rounded portion of a ship's hull, forming a transition between the bottom and the sides.
- 2
The lowest inner part of a ship's hull, where water accumulates.
- 3
The water accumulated in the bilge; bilge water.
- 4
slangStupid talk or writing; nonsense.
talk bilge
- 5
The bulging part of a barrel or cask.
verb
- 1
To spring a leak in the bilge.
- 2
To bulge or swell.
- 3
To break open the bilge(s) of.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bilge in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does bilge come from?
Likely derived from bulge. Compare Middle English bulgen (“to ground or scuttle a ship”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).