Obs. Also 5–7 bowge, 6 boulge, budge. [f. BOUGE sb.1: there are also partially differentiated variants BILGE, BULGE, and BULCH.]
1. trans. To stave in a ship’s bottom or sides, cause her to spring a leak; = BILGE v. 1.
1485. Caxton, Trevisa’s Higden, VII. xxvi. (1527), 284. He … toke … one of the Soudans grete shyppes … and bowged and thyrled it in ye nether syde.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., III. 15/2. Sir Anthonie Oughtred folowing the Regent at the sterne, bowged hir in diverse places, and set hir powder on fire. Ibid., II. xvii. (1877), 288. Our ships will either bowge those of other countries or put them to flight.
1580. North, Plutarch (1676), 460. He had fewer galleys than they, yet he budged divers of theirs and sunk them.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXI. l. 421. One vessell … was bouged and pierced [perforata].
2. intr. To suffer fracture in the bilge; = BILGE v. 2.
a. 1577. Gascoigne, Voy. Holland. Lest therupon Our shippe should bowge.
3. To swell out, to bulge; = BULGE v. 3.
1398. [see BOUGING.]
1647. H. More, Song of Soul, I. I. xlvi. From this first film all bulk in quantity Doth bougen out.
1851. S. Judd, Margaret, ii. 6. When it reaches the stone that bouges out there.
