Bullion and bouillon are spelled and pronounced very similarly, but have very different meanings. We’ll look at the meaning of bullion and bouillon, where these words come from, and a few examples of their use in sentences.
Bullion is platinum, silver or gold in bulk form. Bullion may come in ingots, bars or special bullion coins. Usually, bullion is the shape that precious metal is formed into on its way to be used in jewelry or other applications. However, financial investors collect platinum, silver and gold in ingots, bars and bullion coins. The American Eagle gold coin is sold as a bullion investment coin, for example. The American Eagle gold coin is 22 karat. It was first sold in 1986. Other gold coins sold as investments are the Australian Gold Nugget first minted in 1981, the Chinese Gold Panda first minted in 1982, and the South African Krugerrand first minted in 1967. The word bullion is said to be derived from the Old French word boillir, meaning to boil. Interestingly, Claude de Bullion served as the Minister of Finance under Louis XIII during the 1630s.
Bouillon is a broth or a stock made by boiling meat, fish or vegetables. Today, most cooks do not create their own bouillon. They depend on cubes or granules made of dehydrated broth or stock. The word bouillon is derived from the Old French word boillir, meaning to boil.
Examples
The Australian Federal Police have seized 170kg of silver bullion and coins in a raid in Queensland as the government’s widening Panama Papers investigation targets “a number of high net wealth individuals” – the term the ATO uses for taxpayers with more than $30 million in net wealth. (The Australian Financial Review)
While court-bouillon is most often used to poach fish, you can simmer anything in it, so try it with eggs, chicken breasts, or vegetables for a healthy flavor boost. (The Boston Globe)