bull

[boo l]

SEE MORE 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 animals, as the elephant and moose.

a large, solidly built person.

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

(initial capital letter) 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).

Idioms

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

1150–1200; Middle English bule, Old English bula; akin to Old Norse boli; see bullock

Related formsbull-like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for bull in a china shop

clod, lummox, bungler, schlep, klutz, dolt, duffer, botcher, bumbler, dub, ignoramus, clunker, foozle

British Dictionary definitions for bull in a china shop

Bull

noun

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

Bull

noun

John . 1563–1628, English composer and organist

See John Bull

bull

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

adjective

male; masculinea bull elephant

large; strong

verb

(tr) to raise or attempt to raise the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative buying

(intr) (of a cow) to be on heat

(intr) US slang to talk lightly or foolishly

Word Origin for bull

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

bull

noun

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

Word Origin for bull

C17: of uncertain origin

bull

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

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

Word Origin and History for bull in a china shop

bull

n.1

"bovine male animal," from Old English bula "a bull, a steer," or Old Norse boli "bull," both from Proto-Germanic *bullon- (cf. Middle Dutch bulle, Dutch bul, German Bulle), perhaps from a Germanic verbal stem meaning "to roar," which survives in some German dialects and perhaps in the first element of boulder (q.v.). The other possibility [Watkins] is that the Germanic root is from PIE *bhln-, from root *bhel- (2) "to blow, inflate, swell" (see bole).

An uncastrated male, reared for breeding, as opposed to a bullock or steer. Extended after 1610s to males of other large animals (elephant, alligator, whale, etc.). Stock market sense is from 1714 (see bear (n.)). Meaning "policeman" attested by 1859. Figurative phrase to take the bull by the horns first recorded 1711. To be a bull in a china shop, figurative of careless and inappropriate use of force, attested from 1812 and was the title of a popular humorous song in 1820s England. Bull-baiting attested from 1570s.

bull

n.2

"papal edict," c.1300, from Medieval Latin bulla "sealed document" (source of Old French bulle, Italian bulla), originally the word for the seal itself, from Latin bulla "round swelling, knob," said ultimately to be from Gaulish, from PIE *beu-, a root supposed to have formed words associated with swelling (cf. Lithuanian bule "buttocks," Middle Dutch puyl "bag," also possibly Latin bucca "cheek").

bull

"push through roughly," 1884, from bull (n.1). Related: Bulled; bulling.

bull

n.3

"false talk, fraud," Middle English, apparently from Old French bole "deception, trick, scheming, intrigue," and perhaps connected to modern Icelandic bull "nonsense."

Sais christ to ypocrites ... yee ar ... all ful with wickednes, tresun and bull. ["Cursor Mundi," early 14c.]

There also was a verb bull meaning "to mock, cheat," which dates from 1530s.

Idioms and Phrases with bull in a china shop

bull in a china shop

An extremely clumsy person, as in Her living room, with its delicate furniture and knickknacks, made him feel like a bull in a china shop. The precise origin for this term has been lost; it was first recorded in Frederick Marryat's novel, Jacob Faithful (1834).

bull

In addition to the idioms beginning with bull

bull in a china shop
bull session

also see:

cock and bull story
hit the bull's-eye
shoot the breeze (bull)
take the bull by the horns