the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.
the male of certain other mammals, as elephants and moose.
a large, solidly built person.
a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will increase (opposed to bear).
Astronomy, Astrology. Bull, the constellation or sign of Taurus.
a bulldog.
Slang. a police officer.
male.
of, relating to, or resembling a bull, as in strength.
having to do with or marked by a continuous trend of rising prices, as of stocks.
a bull market.
Stock Exchange. to attempt to raise the price of.
to speculate in, in expectation of a rise in price.
to force; shove.
to bull one's way through a crowd.
Nautical. to ram (a buoy).
take the bull by the horns, to attack a difficult or risky problem fearlessly.
bull in a china shop,
an awkward or clumsy person.
an inconsiderate or tactless person.
a troublemaker; dangerous person.
a bulla or seal.
Roman Catholic Church. a formal papal document having a bulla attached.
any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually mature
the uncastrated adult male of any breed of domestic cattle
the male of various other animals including the elephant and whale
a very large, strong, or aggressive person
stock exchange
a speculator who buys in anticipation of rising prices in order to make a profit on resale
( as modifier ) Compare bear 1
a bull market
short for bull's-eye bull's-eye
slang short for bullshit
short for bulldog bull terrier
a clumsy person
slang
to pass time talking lightly
to boast or exaggerate
to face and tackle a difficulty without shirking
male; masculine
a bull elephant
large; strong
(tr) to raise or attempt to raise the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative buying
(intr) (of a cow) to be on heat
slang (intr) to talk lightly or foolishly
John . 1563–1628, English composer and organist
See John Bull
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”; see bullock
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
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 ; see origin at bulla
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."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Deputies later learned that the pit bull was owned by a family member who lived with the victim, the department said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
But eventually, the bull market hit back harder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
The bull run in stocks and big increases in home prices didn’t hurt either.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Raymond James’s bull case has SpaceX hitting $1,000 a share, while Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas sees room for the stock to climb as high as $600 a share.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
She saw how close Romero always worked to the bull, and I pointed out to her the tricks the other bull-fighters used to make it look as though they were working closely.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
However, drinks including Red Bull, Monster, Relentless and Prime would all breach the limit.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
Inside the terminal, Edythe Bull, 72, had missed the bus and was waiting for the next one.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Bull was set to begin an around-the-world trip with a friend in Wilton, Connecticut.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Russell managed to pass Verstappen on lap nine before the four-time champion fell back into the clutches of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who moved past the Red Bull a lap later.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
“Let’s check your military knowledge,” Bull said, walking up to Ben.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
“He’s a bull. He is a physically strong, imposing, aggressive lawyer and the other adjective I’d use to describe him is connected.”
From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2021
“I had to sit on a bull. Ron Howard drove me home in his VW, and I said, ‘Ron, tell me now.
From Fox News ● Oct. 15, 2019
“Not today. He was strong like a bull. I like that. He was telling me he was ready. He’s not an easy horse to ride, but he’s got a lot of talent.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2019
“Once he got that lead, he was a pit bull. He pitched better in the sixth and seventh innings.”
From Washington Post ● May 25, 2019
“Why are you asking all these questions? He’s the Kamba’s bull. That’s all you need to know. However, we call him Head Buster.”
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
For months, cybersecurity bulls have offered that a growing number of artificial intelligence-driven attacks from hackers and bad actors in the Middle East would be good for business.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
July happens to overlap with the animal's mating season - the "peak breeding" period where testosterone levels among bulls are heightened, Jennifer Barfield, the scientific lead at Colorado's Laramie Foothills Bison Conservation Herd, said.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
But as the red-hot chip-stock rally sputters, even the biggest bulls are wondering how much longer the latest leg of the AI frenzy can last and where money might go as it fades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
My colleague Andrew Bary writes that the Comcast spinoff action is likely favorable for shareholders and, if bulls are right, could generate more upside.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Likely she would run through the fields dressed in sackcloth, hunting hyssop amongst the wild bulls, if not obligated to the higher plane of Motherhood.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
By one measure, investors haven’t been this bulled up on stocks since the heady days of the original meme-stock frenzy back in 2021.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
The 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara bulled his way to the rim and swatted shots away.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026
Swift's three-yard TD gave the Bears a 7-0 lead and Monangai bulled over for a four-yard score that made it 17-9 in the fourth quarter.
From Barron's ● Nov. 29, 2025
Two plays later, Pierce bulled in for the touchdown to make it 10-0.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 3, 2023
Half Time’s head came up, and he dropped out of the pocket an instant before Exhibit’s broad rump bulled into it.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Joveljic then scored the game-winner in the 76th minute, bulling his way through traffic to score on a left-footed shot from the center of the box.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2024
“I just want to make sure. Did you apologize for the behavior that went on with you and your date?” he asked, bulling over her attempts to interrupt him.
From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2024
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he abhorred bulling and the abuse of power after he was asked why he promoted a Conservative lawmaker following complaints of sexual misconduct made against him.
From Reuters ● Jul. 6, 2022
ARLINGTON, Texas — KJ Jefferson got back on the field late, bruised knee and all, bulling over a defender for a first down and then kneeling down on the final snap for No. 16 Arkansas.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 25, 2021
The horse reverted to his rebellious habits in the starting gate, bulling forward and raising a fuss.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
