A bulge is a rounded swelling or lump that sticks out from a flat or smooth surface. As a verb, it means to swell or stick out in this way.
From Middle English “bolge,” meaning “leather bag,” from Old French “bouge,” “bag,” from Latin “bulga,” “leather sack.” The idea moved from a bag’s shape to any rounded swelling.
The same root that gave us “bulge” also gave us words for bags and bellies—it’s all about stretched-out surfaces. A bulging pocket and a bulging galaxy cluster are wildly different sizes, but our minds file them under the same shape idea.
Historically, “bulge” has been used in objectifying ways about bodies, especially women’s and pregnant people’s bodies, in tabloid and fashion media. It has also been used to stigmatize weight gain through phrases like “battle the bulge,” which often targeted women more than men.
Use neutral, non-objectifying descriptions when referring to bodies, and avoid using “bulge” as a value judgment about appearance. Prefer medically accurate or person-centered language when relevant.
["swelling","curve","protrusion","pregnant belly","weight gain"]
Discussions of pregnancy, body shape, and weight should recognize women’s and pregnant people’s autonomy and expertise over their own bodies rather than treating them as visual objects.
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