# bulge

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbʌldʒ/ · frequency rank #21,150

## Definitions
1. An object which is sticking out from a surface; a swelling, protuberant part; a bending outward, especially when caused by pressure.
2. The bilge or protuberant part of a cask.
3. A rounded fleshy mass, such as on a camel or zebu.
4. The bilge of a vessel.
5. The outline of the penis visible through clothing.
6. A sudden rise in value or quantity.

## Etymology
From Middle English bulge (“leather bag; hump”), from Old Northern French boulge (“leather bag”), from Late Latin bulga (“leather sack”), from Gaulish *bulga, *bulgos, from Proto-Celtic *bolgos (“sack, bag, stomach”). Cognate with bilge, belly, bellows, budget, French bouge, German Balg, etc. Doublet of budge, and from the same root as belly and bellows. See also budget.

## Easily confused with
- **bull** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-bull)
- **bulk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-bulk)
- **Burg** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-burg)
- **bute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-bute)
- **bung** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-bung)
- **bulls** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-bulls)
- **bully** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-bully)
- **burke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-burke)
- **bulky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-bulky)
- **butte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-butte)
- **burgh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-burgh)
- **bullet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-bullet)
- **burger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-burger)
- **bungee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-bungee)
- **bulger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-bulger)
- **buller** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bulge-vs-buller)
- **bug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bug-vs-bulge)
- **BLE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ble-vs-bulge)
- **blue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blue-vs-bulge)
- **bugs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bugs-vs-bulge)

## Common misspellings (6)
`bbulge`, `bluge`, `buleg`, `bulgge`, `bullge`, `ublge`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bulge