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definitions

bull

1
[ boo l ]
/ bʊl /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bull ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

bulkhead, bulkhead deck, bulkheading, bulking, bulky, bull, bull ant, bull bar, bull bars, bull bat, bull bay

Idioms

    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
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

British Dictionary definitions for bull in a china shop (1 of 5)

Bull

1
/ (bʊl) /

noun

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

British Dictionary definitions for bull in a china shop (2 of 5)

Bull

2
/ (bʊl) /

noun

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

British Dictionary definitions for bull in a china shop (3 of 5)

bull

1
/ (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 in a china shop (4 of 5)

bull

2
/ (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 in a china shop (5 of 5)

bull

3
/ (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
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 in a china shop (1 of 2)

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).

Idioms and Phrases with bull in a china shop (2 of 2)

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