bulldog
Americannoun
-
one of an English breed of medium-sized, short-haired, muscular dogs with prominent, undershot jaws, usually having a white and tan or brindled coat, raised originally for bullbaiting.
-
Informal. a stubbornly persistent person.
-
a short-barreled revolver of large caliber.
-
Metallurgy. slag from a puddling furnace.
-
an assistant to the proctor at Oxford and Cambridge universities.
adjective
verb (used with object)
-
to attack in the manner of a bulldog.
-
Western U.S. to throw (a calf, steer, etc.) to the ground by seizing the horns and twisting the head.
noun
-
a sturdy thickset breed of dog with an undershot jaw, short nose, broad head, and a muscular body
-
(at Oxford University) an official who accompanies the proctors on ceremonial occasions
-
commerce a fixed-interest bond issued in Britain by a foreign borrower
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of bulldog
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.
Rowbottom and Lindsey work side by side from adjoining desks in their lofted home office, a French bulldog named Jammy snoring between them.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
Boasberg appears well aware of Trump’s bulldog approach on social media.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
Steph Roberts, from Ashford, Kent, told the BBC she has been stuck at the Calais terminal with her husband Robert and bulldog Dempsey since 10:30.
From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton races for the first time since the death of his bulldog Roscoe last weekend.
From BBC • Oct. 2, 2025
A bruising bulldog of a man, Bill had also expressed deep frustration over the authorities’ investigation, and he had begun looking into the matter himself.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
