bull

¹

[ bool ]

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. Bull, Astronomy, Astrology. the constellation or sign of Taurus.
6. a bulldog.
7. Slang. a police officer.

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).

bull

²

[ bool ]

noun

, Slang.

1. exaggeration, lies, or nonsense.

bull

³

[ bool ]

noun

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

Bull

⁴

[ bool ]

noun

1. O·le (Bor·ne·mann) [oh, -l, uh, , bor, -n, uh, -mahn], 1810–80, Norwegian violinist and composer.

bull.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. bulletin.

bull

¹

/ bʊl /

noun

1. any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually mature taurine
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 bull in a china shop
   a clumsy person
10. shoot the bull slang.
    1. to pass time talking lightly
    2. to boast or exaggerate
11. take the bull by the horns
    to face and tackle a difficulty without shirking

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

/ bʊl /

noun

1. BullJohn15631628MEnglishMUSIC: composerMUSIC: organist John . 1563–1628, English composer and organist
2. See John Bull

Bull

³

/ bʊl /

noun

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

bull

⁴

/ bʊl /

noun

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

bull

⁵

/ bʊl /

noun

1. a ludicrously self-contradictory or inconsistent statement Also calledIrish bull

Other Words From

• bull-like adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bull¹

Old English bula , from Old Norse boli ; related to Middle Low German bulle , Middle Dutch bolle

Origin of bull²

C13: from Medieval Latin bulla seal attached to a bull, from Latin: round object

Origin of bull³

C17: of uncertain origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. bull in a china shop,
   1. an awkward or clumsy person.
   2. an inconsiderate or tactless person.
   3. a troublemaker; dangerous person.
2. shoot / throw the bull, Slang. to talk aimlessly:

   We just sat around shooting the bull.

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

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

Example Sentences

Yes, the minor-league baseball player memorably portrayed by Kevin Costner in Bull Durham.

From The Daily Beast

He also said police intend to put their beloved family pet, a Staffordshire bull terrier named Excalibur, to sleep.

From The Daily Beast

Biden made many visits to Baghdad and no doubt get fed a load of bull about inclusion on each one.

From The Daily Beast

Like at Bull Run, when I am in the presence of those old family letters, I am transported.

From The Daily Beast

A stoic figure in a white floor length dress and razor-tailored bodice was accessorized with a giant bull skull as a mask.

From The Daily Beast

The well-known "cock and bull" stories of small children are inspired by this love of strong effect.

From Project Gutenberg

I thought this young man was going to read us some of his poetry; it's too tiresome of him to stop to tell us about his bull-dog.

From Project Gutenberg

And I, for one, absolutely decline to believe in this preposterous story of his about a bull-dog.

From Project Gutenberg

Tom leaped on one side; the buffalo-bull turned short round and made another dash at him.

From Project Gutenberg

Some who would face a mad bull coolly enough spring with disgust from a cockroach or a centipede.

From Project Gutenberg