bulla
Americannoun
plural
bullae-
a seal attached to an official document, as a papal bull.
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an ancient Roman pendant, consisting of a rounded box containing an amulet.
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Pathology. a large vesicle.
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Zoology. a blisterlike or bubblelike prominence of a bone, as that of the tympanic bone in the skull of certain mammals.
noun
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a leaden seal affixed to a papal bull, having a representation of Saints Peter and Paul on one side and the name of the reigning pope on the other
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an ancient Roman rounded metal or leather box containing an amulet, worn around the neck
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pathol another word for blister
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anatomy a rounded bony projection
Etymology
Origin of bulla
1840–50; < Latin: bubble, also stud, boss, knob (whence Medieval Latin bulla official seal)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
People who have emphysema also are likely to develop heart problems, a collapsed lung and large empty spaces or “bullae” in the lungs.
From Los Angeles Times
They included cuneiform tablets, ancient cylinder seals and clay seal impressions known as bullae.
From New York Times
The store sold everyday goods and featured a large brick oven that was used to make its famous bulla cakes, flavorful flat pastries made with flour, ginger and molasses.
From Washington Post
They included 4,000-year-old cuneiform tablets, slivers of papyrus, cylinder seals and clay bullae — all relics from ancient Mesopotamia that showcased some of the earliest forms of written communication.
From New York Times
In ancient times, a seal stamp, or bulla, was used to authenticate documents or items.
From Fox News
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.
