bilge

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

bilge, n. [A different orthography of bulge, of same origin as belly. Cf. Belly, Bulge.].

•  The protuberant part of a cask, which is usually in the middle.  [1913 Webster]
•  That part of a ship's hull or bottom which is broadest and most nearly flat, and on which she would rest if aground.  [1913 Webster]
•  Bilge water.  [1913 Webster]

Bilge free (Naut.), stowed in such a way that the bilge is clear of everything; -- said of a cask. -- Bilge pump, a pump to draw the bilge water from the gold of a ship. -- Bilge water (Naut.), water which collects in the bilge or bottom of a ship or other vessel. It is often allowed to remain till it becomes very offensive. -- Bilge ways, the timbers which support the cradle of a ship upon the ways, and which slide upon the launching ways in launching the vessel.

bilge, v. i. 

•  To suffer a fracture in the bilge; to spring a leak by a fracture in the bilge.  [1913 Webster]
•  To bulge.  [1913 Webster]

bilge, v. t. 

•  To fracture the bilge of, or stave in the bottom of (a ship or other vessel).  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause to bulge.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

bilge, n. & v.
--n.
1 a the almost flat part of a ship's bottom, inside or out. b (in full bilge-water) filthy water that collects inside the bilge.
2 sl. nonsense; rot (don't talk bilge).
--v.
1 tr. stave in the bilge of (a ship).
2 intr. spring a leak in the bilge.
3 intr. swell out; bulge.

Idiom

bilge-keel a plate or timber fastened under the bilge to prevent rolling.

Etymology

prob. var. of BULGE

THESAURUS

bilge

balderdash, baloney, bilgewater, blah, blah-blah, blain, bleb, blister, blob, bop, bosh, boss, bow, bubble, bulb, bulge, bull, bulla, bullshit, bump, bunch, bunk, bunkum, burl, bushwa, button, cahot, carrion, chine, clump, condyle, convex, crap, dishwater, ditchwater, dowel, ear, flange, flap, flapdoodle, gall, garbage, gas, gnarl, guff, gup, handle, hill, hogwash, hokum, hooey, hot air, hump, hunch, jog, joggle, knob, knot, knur, knurl, lip, loop, lump, malarkey, mole, moonshine, mountain, nevus, nub, nubbin, nubble, offal, offscourings, papilloma, peg, piffle, poppycock, refuse, rib, ridge, riffraff, ring, rot, rubbish, scat, scum, scurf, sewage, sewerage, shit, shoulder, slop, slops, slough, spine, stud, style, swill, tab, tommyrot, trash, tripe, tubercle, tubercule, verruca, vesicle, wale, wart, welt, wind

ROGET THESAURUS

bilge

Lowness

N lowness, debasement, depression, prostration, depression, molehill, lowlands, basement floor, ground floor, rez de chaussee, cellar, hold, bilge, feet, heels, low water, low tide, ebb tide, neap tide, spring tide, low, neap, debased, nether, nether most, flat, level with the ground, lying low, crouched, subjacent, squat, prostrate, under, beneath, underneath, below, downwards, adown, at the foot of, under foot, under ground, down stairs, below stairs, at a low ebb, below par.

Base

N base, basement, plinth, dado, wainscot, baseboard, mopboard, bedrock, hardpan, foundation, substructure, substratum, ground, earth, pavement, floor, paving, flag, carped, ground floor, deck, footing, ground work, basis, hold, bilge, bottom, nadir, foot, sole, toe, hoof, keel, root, centerboard, bottom, undermost, nethermost, fundamental, founded on, based on, grounded on, built on.

Convexity

N convexity, prominence, projection, swelling, gibbosity, bilge, bulge, protuberance, protrusion, camber, cahot, thank-ye-ma'am, swell, intumescence, tumour, tumor, tubercle, tuberosity, excrescence, hump, hunch, bunch, boss, embossment, hub, hubble, tooth, knob, elbow, process, apophysis, condyle, bulb, node, nodule, nodosity, tongue, dorsum, bump, clump, sugar loaf, bow, mamelon, molar, belly, corporation, pot belly, gut, withers, back, shoulder, lip, flange, pimple, zit, wen, wheel, papula, pustule, pock, proud flesh, growth, sarcoma, caruncle, corn, wart, pappiloma, furuncle, polypus, fungus, fungosity, exostosis, bleb, blister, blain, boil, airbubble, blob, papule, verruca, papilla, nipple, teat, tit, titty, boob, knocker, pap, breast, dug, mammilla, proboscis, nose, neb, beak, snout, nozzle, schnoz, peg, button, stud, ridge, rib, jutty, trunnion, snag, cupola, dome, arch, balcony, eaves, pilaster, relief, relievo, cameo, bassorilievo, mezzorilevo, altorivievo, low relief, bas relief, high relief, hill, cape, promontory, mull, forehead, foreland, point of land, mole, jetty, hummock, ledge, spur, naze, ness, convex, prominent, protuberant, projecting, bossed, embossed, bossy, nodular, bunchy, clavate, clavated, claviform, hummocky, moutonne, mammiliform, papulous, papilose, hemispheric, bulbous, bowed, arched, bold, bellied, tuberous, tuberculous, tumous, cornute, odontoid, lentiform, lenticular, gibbous, club shaped, hubby, hubbly, knobby, papillose, saddle-shaped, selliform, subclavate, torose, ventricose, verrucose, salient, in relief, raised, repousse, bloated, (expanded).

Opening

VB open, ope, gape, yawn, bilge, fly open, perforate, pierce, empierce, tap, bore, drill, mine, tunnel, transpierce, transfix, enfilade, impale, spike, spear, gore, spit, stab, pink, puncture, lance, stick, prick, riddle, punch, stave in, cut a passage through, make way for, make room for, uncover, unclose, unrip, lay open, cut open, rip open, throw open, pop open, blow open, pry open, tear open, pull open.