/ bʌldʒ; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb [ v ]
1.
bulge (with sth) (usually used in the progressive tenses) to be completely full (of sth) :
Her pockets were bulging with presents.
a bulging briefcase
2.
to stick out from sth in a round shape :
His eyes bulged.
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IDIOMS
see seam
■ noun
1.
a lump that sticks out from sth in a round shape :
the bulge of a gun in his pocket
2.
( informal ) fat on the body that sticks out in a round shape :
That skirt's too tight. It shows all your bulges.
3.
a sudden temporary increase in the amount of sth :
After the war there was a bulge in the birth rate.
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French boulge , from Latin bulga leather bag, knapsack, of Gaulish origin. The original meaning was wallet or bag , later a ship's bilge (early 17th cent.); other senses presumably derived from association with the shape of a full bag.