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Synonyms

bulldog

American  
[bool-dawg, -dog] / ˈbʊlˌdɔg, -ˌdɒg /

noun

  1. 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.

  2. Informal. a stubbornly persistent person.

  3. a short-barreled revolver of large caliber.

  4. Metallurgy. slag from a puddling furnace.

  5. an assistant to the proctor at Oxford and Cambridge universities.

adjective

  1. like or characteristic of a bulldog or of a bulldog's jaws.

    bulldog obstinacy.

verb (used with object)

bulldogged, bulldogging

  1. to attack in the manner of a bulldog.

  2. Western U.S. to throw (a calf, steer, etc.) to the ground by seizing the horns and twisting the head.

bulldog British  
/ ˈbʊlˌdɒɡ /

noun

  1. a sturdy thickset breed of dog with an undershot jaw, short nose, broad head, and a muscular body

  2. (at Oxford University) an official who accompanies the proctors on ceremonial occasions

  3. commerce a fixed-interest bond issued in Britain by a foreign borrower

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of bulldog

First recorded in 1490–1500; bull 1 + dog

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.

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

What lengths will the Bulldog go to get the card?

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2025

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

McConkey visited L.A. before as a Georgia Bulldog, when they capped off back-to-back national championships at SoFi Stadium in 2022 against Texas Christian.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2024

“I object to that remark very strongly,” said the Bulldog.

From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis

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.