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).
Astronomy, Astrology. Bull, the constellation or sign of Taurus.
a bulldog.
Slang. a police officer.
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.
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).
take the bull by the horns, to attack a difficult or risky problem fearlessly.
bull in a china shop,
an awkward or clumsy person.
an inconsiderate or tactless person.
a troublemaker; dangerous person.
a bulla or seal.
Roman Catholic Church. a formal papal document having a bulla attached.
any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually mature
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 ) Compare bear 1
a bull market
short for bull's-eye bull's-eye
slang short for bullshit
short for bulldog bull terrier
a clumsy person
slang
to pass time talking lightly
to boast or exaggerate
to face and tackle a difficulty without shirking
male; masculine
a bull elephant
large; strong
(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
slang (intr) to talk lightly or foolishly
John . 1563–1628, English composer and organist
See John 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
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
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
A bull is a male cow. You can usually tell which animal in a pasture is a bull by its large size and horns. A male bovine — or cow — is a bull, and so is a male whale or elephant. Fittingly, the word bull is sometimes also used for a particularly bulky, muscular man. Another informal and slightly obscene meaning is "ridiculous," or "not true," as when you tell a lie and your brother rudely replies, "Bull!" This slang meaning has its roots in the Old French bole, "deception or trick."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Deputies later learned that the pit bull was owned by a family member who lived with the victim, the department said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
“The capex trade will eventually end, likely in a destructive way,” said Correa and Weisberger from the bull camp.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Some analysts are hopeful that a resurgence by those tech giants, whose stocks slumped over the spring, could revive the cooling bull market.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 19, 2026
The biggest risk is one common to all bull markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
I thought we were going to kick back, shoot the bull and watch a movie, but JonPaul couldn’t relax until he’d disinfected his gym clothes.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
Verstappen's pace came despite Red Bull reverting to a standard rear wing while they refine the the 'flip-flop' or 'somersault' design that caused high-speed crashes for the Dutchman in the past two races.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Bull was set to begin an around-the-world trip with a friend in Wilton, Connecticut.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Inside the terminal, Edythe Bull, 72, had missed the bus and was waiting for the next one.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Russell managed to pass Verstappen on lap nine before the four-time champion fell back into the clutches of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who moved past the Red Bull a lap later.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
“Mary Anne,” Bull said, “what’s the capital of Uruguay?”
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
“I had to sit on a bull. Ron Howard drove me home in his VW, and I said, ‘Ron, tell me now.
From Fox News ● Oct. 15, 2019
“Once he got that lead, he was a pit bull. He pitched better in the sixth and seventh innings.”
From Washington Post ● May 25, 2019
“I’m sort of like a pit bull. I never let it go.”
From The New Yorker ● Apr. 6, 2016
"He's competitive, extremely athletic and strong as a bull. That's a great combination to work from."
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2015
“This is my bull. That makes it my business.”
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Meanwhile, the AI bulls include BCA’s Juan Correa, head of portfolio construction, and Noah Weisberger, head of equities, who think the compute market remains “scarce rather than oversupplied.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
For months, cybersecurity bulls have offered that a growing number of artificial intelligence-driven attacks from hackers and bad actors in the Middle East would be good for business.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
Historically, rising interest rates, new regulations and underappreciated risks have brought bulls down.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
July happens to overlap with the animal's mating season - the "peak breeding" period where testosterone levels among bulls are heightened, Jennifer Barfield, the scientific lead at Colorado's Laramie Foothills Bison Conservation Herd, said.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Manuel Castellan told me the dead bulls were dragged away and their meat was sold in butcher shops.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
By one measure, investors haven’t been this bulled up on stocks since the heady days of the original meme-stock frenzy back in 2021.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
The 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara bulled his way to the rim and swatted shots away.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026
Hill, who plays like he should be a tight end for an NFL team, bulled his way around for 18 points, making nine of 13 shots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2026
Swift's three-yard TD gave the Bears a 7-0 lead and Monangai bulled over for a four-yard score that made it 17-9 in the fourth quarter.
From Barron's ● Nov. 29, 2025
He bulled his face in close to us, his chin prickly with whiskers.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
“I just want to make sure. Did you apologize for the behavior that went on with you and your date?” he asked, bulling over her attempts to interrupt him.
From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2024
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he abhorred bulling and the abuse of power after he was asked why he promoted a Conservative lawmaker following complaints of sexual misconduct made against him.
From Reuters ● Jul. 6, 2022
ARLINGTON, Texas — KJ Jefferson got back on the field late, bruised knee and all, bulling over a defender for a first down and then kneeling down on the final snap for No. 16 Arkansas.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 25, 2021
Eleby led a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Jefferson bulling over from 3 yards out to make it 41-34.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 18, 2021
The horse reverted to his rebellious habits in the starting gate, bulling forward and raising a fuss.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
