bull

[ bool ]

/ bʊl /

See synonyms for bull on Thesaurus.com

noun

the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.

the male of certain other mammals, as elephants and moose.

a large, solidly built person.

a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will increase (opposed to bear).

Bull, Astronomy, Astrology. the constellation or sign of Taurus.

a bulldog.

Slang. a police officer.

adjective

male.

of, relating to, or resembling a bull, as in strength.

having to do with or marked by a continuous trend of rising prices, as of stocks: a bull market.

verb (used with object)

Stock Exchange. to attempt to raise the price of.

to speculate in, in expectation of a rise in price.

to force; shove: to bull one's way through a crowd.

Nautical. to ram (a buoy).

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Idioms for bull

bull in a china shop,

an awkward or clumsy person.
an inconsiderate or tactless person.
a troublemaker; dangerous person.

take the bull by the horns, to attack a difficult or risky problem fearlessly.

Origin of bull

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

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

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

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. 2021

British Dictionary definitions for bull (1 of 5)

bull¹

/ (bʊl) /

noun

any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually matureRelated adjective: taurine

the uncastrated adult male of any breed of domestic cattle

the male of various other animals including the elephant and whale

a very large, strong, or aggressive person

stock exchange

a speculator who buys in anticipation of rising prices in order to make a profit on resale
(as modifier)a bull market Compare bear 1 (def. 5)

mainly British short for bull's-eye (def. 1), bull's-eye (def. 2)

slang short for bullshit

short for bulldog, bull terrier

a bull in a china shop a clumsy person

shoot the bull US and Canadian slang

to pass time talking lightly
to boast or exaggerate

take the bull by the horns to face and tackle a difficulty without shirking