bulldozer

[bool-doh-zer]

noun

1. a large, powerful tractor having a vertical blade at the front end for moving earth, tree stumps, rocks, etc.

2. a person who intimidates or coerces.

bulldozer

/ ˈbʊlˌdəʊzə /

noun

1. a powerful tractor fitted with caterpillar tracks and a blade at the front, used for moving earth, rocks, etc

2. informal,  a person who bulldozes

Word History and Origins

Origin of bulldozer¹

1875–80, 1925–30 in the sense “tractor”; origin uncertain. See bulldoze ( def. )

Example Sentences

It faces challenges including unexploded Israeli ordnance and a lack of equipment such as excavators, bulldozers and heavy trucks, according to the Arab mediators.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, Sino Metals bulldozers have been leveling ground and removing dried tailings from riverbanks and gardens, which could make such an investigation more difficult.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Low-loader lorries flying the Egyptian flag transported bulldozers and mechanical diggers into Gaza, accompanied by tipper trucks sounding their horns and flashing their lights, en route to an Egyptian aid committee based in Al Zawayda.

Read more on Barron's

And until the bulldozers and backhoes showed up this week, the president had explicitly denied the White House’s structure would be affected.

Read more on Salon

With Palestinians expressing confusion about the exact location of the line, the IDF has put out a video showing bulldozers towing yellow blocks into place to mark it out.

Read more on BBC

When To Use

What does bulldozer mean?

A bulldozer is a large tractor that has a big, blade-like shovel at the front and moves around using metal tracks over wheels.A bulldozer is a kind of earthmover—they are typically used to move earth and clear debris from an area. They are sometimes called dozers for short.Less commonly, bulldozer can also mean a person who intentionally tries to intimidate others. In fact, this was its original use, first recorded in the 1870s.The verb bulldoze comes from around the same time. Today, bulldoze typically means to use a bulldozer, such as to move dirt or clear an area, or, more figuratively, to move forward or advance in an aggressive or forceful way.However, bulldoze originally meant to intimidate, such as with threats of violence. Early records of this use refer to violent attacks, especially whipping, against African Americans by white people in the Southern United States. However, the origin of these words, and how bulldozer came to be a name for a type of tractor, is ultimately unclear.