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bull

1
[ bool ]
/ bʊl /
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noun
adjective
verb (used with object)
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Idioms about 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

Other definitions for bull (2 of 5)

bull2
[ bool ]
/ bʊl /

noun Slang.
exaggeration, lies, or nonsense.

Origin of bull

2
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

Other definitions for bull (3 of 5)

bull3
[ bool ]
/ bʊl /

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

Origin of bull

3
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

Other definitions 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.

Other definitions for bull (5 of 5)

bull.

abbreviation
bulletin.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bull in a sentence

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
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

Other 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.
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