bilge
bilge Lexical Profile
bilge Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The lowest internal compartment of a ship's hull, or the curved outer bottom where the hull meets the sides.
"The engineer inspected the ship's bilge to make sure the hull remained watertight after the storm."
Dirty, stagnant water and oily residue that collects in the bottom of a boat or ship.
"They used an automatic pump to clear the foul-smelling bilge before setting sail."
Foolish, worthless, or nonsensical talk or writing.
"The critic dismissed the entire novel as pretentious bilge lacking any real plot."
• verb
To sustain a breach in the lower hull, or to cause a ship to spring a leak in its bottom.
"The wooden schooner bilged upon striking the submerged reef near the harbor entrance."
To bulge or swell outward in the middle (especially of a cask or vessel).
"The heavy oak barrel bilged slightly under the pressure of the fermenting ale."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Originated in the 16th century as a nautical variant of 'bulge', from Old French 'bouge' (meaning 'leather bag' or 'swelling'), which itself derives from Latin 'bulga' of Celtic origin.