Dictionary.com

bull

1
[ bool ]
/ bʊl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR bull

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

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Idioms for bull

    bull in a china shop,
    1. an awkward or clumsy person.
    2. an inconsiderate or tactless person.
    3. a troublemaker; dangerous person.
    take the bull by the horns, to attack a difficult or risky problem fearlessly.

Origin of bull

1
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bule, Old English bula; akin to Old Norse boli; Greek phallós “penis,” from a root meaning “to swell”; see bullock

OTHER WORDS FROM bull

bull-like, adjective

Words nearby bull

bulking, bulk mail, bulk modulus, bulk up, bulky, bull, bulla, bullace, Bullamakanka, bull ant, bullarium

Definition for bull (2 of 5)

bull2
[ bool ]
/ bʊl /

noun

a bulla or seal.
Roman Catholic Church. a formal papal document having a bulla attached.

Origin of bull

2
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bull(e) “a (lead) seal affixed to a papal edict, papal edict; official sealed document,” from Medieval Latin bulla “seal, sealed document,” from Latin ; see origin at bulla

Definition for bull (3 of 5)

bull3
[ bool ]
/ bʊl /

noun Slang.

exaggeration, lies, or nonsense.

Origin of bull

3
First recorded in 1620–30; from Medieval Latin bulla “play, game, jest,” perhaps special use of Latin bulla “bubble”; now generally taken as a euphemistic shortening of bullshit

Definition for bull (4 of 5)

Bull
[ bool ]
/ bul /

noun

O·le (Bor·ne·mann) [oh-luh -bor-nuh-mahn], /ˈoʊ lə ˈbɒr nəˌmɑn/, 1810–80, Norwegian violinist and composer.

Definition for bull (5 of 5)

bull.

abbreviation

bulletin.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to bull

hogwash, crap, claptrap, bilge, rubbish, baloney, balderdash, trash, bunkum

Example sentences from the Web for bull

British Dictionary definitions for bull (1 of 5)

bull1
/ (bʊl) /

noun

adjective

male; masculinea bull elephant
large; strong

verb

Word Origin for bull

Old English bula, from Old Norse boli; related to Middle Low German bulle, Middle Dutch bolle

British Dictionary definitions for bull (2 of 5)

bull2
/ (bʊl) /

noun

a ludicrously self-contradictory or inconsistent statementAlso called: Irish bull

Word Origin for bull

C17: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for bull (3 of 5)

bull3
/ (bʊl) /

noun

a formal document issued by the pope, written in antiquated characters and often sealed with a leaden bulla

Word Origin for bull

C13: from Medieval Latin bulla seal attached to a bull, from Latin: round object

British Dictionary definitions for bull (4 of 5)

Bull1
/ (bʊl) /

noun

the Bull the constellation Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac

British Dictionary definitions for bull (5 of 5)

Bull2
/ (bʊl) /

noun

John . 1563–1628, English composer and organist
See John Bull
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

Idioms and Phrases with bull

bull
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.