bulldog
Americannoun
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one of an English breed of medium-sized, short-haired, muscular dogs with prominent, undershot jaws, usually having a white and tan or brindled coat, raised originally for bullbaiting.
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Informal. a stubbornly persistent person.
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a short-barreled revolver of large caliber.
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Metallurgy. slag from a puddling furnace.
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an assistant to the proctor at Oxford and Cambridge universities.
adjective
verb (used with object)
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to attack in the manner of a bulldog.
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Western U.S. to throw (a calf, steer, etc.) to the ground by seizing the horns and twisting the head.
noun
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a sturdy thickset breed of dog with an undershot jaw, short nose, broad head, and a muscular body
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(at Oxford University) an official who accompanies the proctors on ceremonial occasions
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commerce a fixed-interest bond issued in Britain by a foreign borrower
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of bulldog
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The alumni-relations office emailed a winsome sketch of the school’s mascot, Jack the Bulldog, in party hat and surrounded by balloons.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
He was still a Ferris State Bulldog 12 months ago, while the kicker who laced the 47-yard field goal only arrived in the offseason from Western Kentucky.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
Dudley the British Bulldog, pictured on Cawsand Beach in Cornwall, will be one of the least likely contenders, despite being described as a "national treasure" by his owner Julie, from Plymouth.
From BBC • Jul. 3, 2025
Get your hands on these Bulldog swim shorts from Orlebar Brown that feature a 1957 Slim Aarons photo of cars parked outside the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset Boulevard.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2024
Astonishing to see The Bulldog hatless and indoors, unlocking a cash drawer at the rear of the store.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
