John Bull

noun

1. England; the English people.

2. the typical Englishman.

John Bull

noun

1. a personification of England or the English people

2. a typical Englishman

John Bull

1. A figure who stands for England in literary and political satire and in cartoons. John Bull is a stout, feisty man, often shown in a suit made out of the British flag.

John Bull is the British equivalent of the United States'symbol (see also symbol) Uncle Sam.

Other Word Forms

• John Bullish adjective
• John Bullishness noun
• John Bullism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of John Bull¹

1705–15; named after John Bull, chief character in Arbuthnot's allegory The History of John Bull (1712)

Word History and Origins

Origin of John Bull¹

C18: name of a character intended to be representative of the English nation in The History of John Bull (1712) by John Arbuthnot