bulbous
|bul-bous|
/ˈbʌl.bəs/
bulb-shaped; swollen
Etymology
'bulbous' originates from Latin, specifically the Late Latin word 'bulbosus,' where 'bulbus' meant 'bulb.'
'bulbosus' developed from Latin 'bulbus' and entered English via Late/Modern Latin influence, becoming the English adjective 'bulbous' by the 16th–17th century.
Initially it meant 'having or relating to a bulb,' but over time it broadened to the general sense 'rounded or swollen, like a bulb.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having the form or appearance of a bulb; rounded, swollen, or protuberant.
The frog had large, bulbous eyes that seemed to glow in the dark.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 2
in botany: having or producing bulbs (as storage organs), e.g., plants that grow from bulbs.
Tulips and daffodils are bulbous plants that reappear each spring.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/14 04:19