Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
shore boulder

shore boulder

7.0
A large rock on a shore moved from far away by waves or ice
  • noun
translation icon : roca costera
  • Waves and ice can move a shore boulder miles from its source over many years.

Examples

  • The geologist inspected the shore boulder to determine how far it had traveled.

  • Many shore boulders along the coastline originated from distant cliffs.

  • The shore boulder was covered in seaweed.

  • Many shore boulders can be found along the coast.

  • The geologist inspected the shore boulder to determine how far it had traveled.

  • Waves and ice can move a shore boulder miles from its source over many years.

  • A large shore boulder stood majestically at the edge of the beach.

Synonyms

boulder
vsshore boulder
191 2.2

A very large round rock that lies on the ground

is found at the edge of water and often moved there by natural forces
bowlder
vsshore boulder
  • Archaic
9.5

A very large smooth rounded rock separate from the rock around it

is found at the edge of water and often moved there by natural forces

How Big

monolith
9 7.5
shore boulder
7.0
rock
∞ 1.0
stone
976 1.0
pebble
64 1.0

Surface Forms

shore boulder singular
shore boulders plural

Morphology

shore + boulder

The meaning is directly compositional: 'shore' (edge of a body of water) + 'boulder' (a large rounded rock) straightforwardly yields 'a large rock on the shoreline.' This type of noun compounding is a common and regular pattern in English (and many other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Shore boulder comes from the image of a big boulder carried to the shore by waves or moving ice over many years. That's why it means 'a large rock found on a shoreline that has been moved from its original place'.