bulldozer

American  

[bool-doh-zer] / ˈbʊlˌdoʊ zər /

noun

• bulldozers
  plural

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.

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bulldozer British  

/ 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

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bulldozers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of bulldozer

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

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Explanation

A bulldozer is a large truck with a wide blade that can dig and push dirt and debris. You'll often see a bulldozer among the vehicles on a construction site. Although many people have a tendency to call any giant truck a bulldozer, it's actually a specific kind of tractor with a blade called a "dozer blade" at the front and a big claw, or "ripper" at the back. A bulldozer can run over any rubble or trash and clear it away — this ability led to the slang meaning of the word, "powerful, intimidating person."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bulldozer bulldozers

In the summer of 2006, a workman discovered a 1,200-year-old psalter while driving a bulldozer through an Irish bog.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

“My character works in construction and I learned to drive and operate a bulldozer and a forklift,” she says with pride.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

In the city centre, near the Mediterranean waterfront, I met a man called Rida Hijazi as a bulldozer removed broken concrete and twisted metal from collapsed buildings.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

Valuable evidence was also lost when, just days after the collision, a bulldozer levelled the site.

From Barron's ● Mar. 23, 2026

“My intel tells me Wilfrido plans to have a bulldozer on the lot first thing in the morning. We’re going to be there to make sure he doesn’t try anything.”

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya

Lamichhane said she was waiting for bulldozers to finish clearing the path so she could return.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

The US Congress was not consulted before bulldozers took to the building.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Israeli troops used bulldozers to bury the bodies and vehicles on the side of the road, the Journal reported.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

On the north and west sides of the blaze, bulldozers and ground crews built defensive lines to impede the fire’s spread.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

There would be no traffic until the sappers took their bulldozers into the village.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

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