bull

¹ American  

[bool] / bʊl /

noun

1. the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.

2. the male of certain other mammals, as elephants and moose.

3. a large, solidly built person.

4. a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will increase (bear ).

5. Astronomy, Astrology. Bull, the constellation or sign of Taurus.

6. a bulldog.

7. Slang. a police officer.

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adjective

1. male.

2. of, relating to, or resembling a bull, as in strength.

3. having to do with or marked by a continuous trend of rising prices, as of stocks.

   a bull market.

verb (used with object)

1. Stock Exchange. to attempt to raise the price of.

2. to speculate in, in expectation of a rise in price.

3. to force; shove.

   to bull one's way through a crowd.

4. Nautical. to ram (a buoy).

idioms

1. take the bull by the horns, to attack a difficult or risky problem fearlessly.

2. bull in a china shop,

   1. an awkward or clumsy person.

   2. an inconsiderate or tactless person.

   3. a troublemaker; dangerous person.

bull ² American  

[bool] / bʊl /

noun

Slang.

1. exaggeration, lies, or nonsense.

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idioms

1. shoot / throw the bull, to talk aimlessly.

   We just sat around shooting the bull.

bull ³ American  

[bool] / bʊl /

noun

1. a bulla or seal.

2. Roman Catholic Church. a formal papal document having a bulla attached.

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Bull ⁴ American  

[bool] / bul /

noun

1. Ole (Bornemann) 1810–80, Norwegian violinist and composer.

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bull. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. bulletin.

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bull ¹ British  

/ bʊl /

noun

1. any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually mature

2. the uncastrated adult male of any breed of domestic cattle

3. the male of various other animals including the elephant and whale

4. a very large, strong, or aggressive person

5. stock exchange

   1. a speculator who buys in anticipation of rising prices in order to make a profit on resale

   2. ( as modifier ) Compare bear 1

      a bull market

6. short for bull's-eye bull's-eye

7. slang short for bullshit

8. short for bulldog bull terrier

9. a clumsy person

10. slang

    1. to pass time talking lightly

    2. to boast or exaggerate

11. to face and tackle a difficulty without shirking

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adjective

1. male; masculine

   a bull elephant

2. large; strong

verb

1. (tr) to raise or attempt to raise the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative buying

2. (intr) (of a cow) to be on heat

3. slang (intr) to talk lightly or foolishly

Bull ² British  

/ bʊl /

noun

1. John . 1563–1628, English composer and organist

2. See John Bull

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Bull ³ British  

/ bʊl /

noun

1. the constellation Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac

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bull ⁴ British  

/ bʊl /

noun

1. Also called: Irish bull.  a ludicrously self-contradictory or inconsistent statement

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bull ⁵ British  

/ bʊl /

noun

1. a formal document issued by the pope, written in antiquated characters and often sealed with a leaden bulla

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bull More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bull

• cock and bull story
• hit the bull's-eye
• shoot the breeze (bull)
• take the bull by the horns

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Other Word Forms

• bull-like adjective

Etymology

Origin of bull¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bule, Old English bula; akin to Old Norse boli; Greek phallós “penis,” from a root meaning “to swell”; bullock

Origin of bull²

First recorded in 1620–30; from Medieval Latin bulla “play, game, jest,” perhaps special use of Latin bulla “bubble”; now generally taken as a euphemistic shortening of bullshit

Origin of bull³

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bull(e) “a (lead) seal affixed to a papal edict, papal edict; official sealed document,” from Medieval Latin bulla “seal, sealed document,” from Latin ; bulla

Explanation

A bull is a male cow. You can usually tell which animal in a pasture is a bull by its large size and horns. A male bovine — or cow — is a bull, and so is a male whale or elephant. Fittingly, the word bull is sometimes also used for a particularly bulky, muscular man. Another informal and slightly obscene meaning is "ridiculous," or "not true," as when you tell a lie and your brother rudely replies, "Bull!" This slang meaning has its roots in the Old French bole, "deception or trick."

Example Sentences

Humphries had the darts for the deciding leg against Clayton but missed a match dart before the Welshman secured a 6-5 win on the bull.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Unless organizations develop clear strategies, A.I. in the workplace becomes a bull in a china shop—with those who never even wanted it tasked with cleaning up the mess.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

They have also been seeking to unload stock that exploded in value during the bull market of the last decade and a half.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Central-bank gold buying was one of the strongest “pillars” underneath gold’s bull market, Skoyles noted.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

She’d given birth to the Minotaur—half man, half bull.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan