bulldozer

[bool-doh-zer]

noun

1. a large, powerful tractor having a vertical blade at the front end for moving earth, tree stumps, rocks, etc.

2. a person who intimidates or coerces.

bulldozer

/ ˈbʊlˌdəʊzə /

noun

1. a powerful tractor fitted with caterpillar tracks and a blade at the front, used for moving earth, rocks, etc

2. informal,  a person who bulldozes

Word History and Origins

Origin of bulldozer¹

1875–80, 1925–30 in the sense “tractor”; origin uncertain. See bulldoze ( def. )

Example Sentences

A bulldozer, one fire expert said, would not typically be used for mopping up fires.

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Contracts related to ground operations—bulldozers, tank shells and vehicles for troop and tank transport—represent much smaller amounts.

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In a rural Louisiana parish that is home to some 20,000 inhabitants, an army of bulldozers and excavators has been busy clearing a vast patch of farmland, the next frontier of the artificial-intelligence revolution.

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Using more than 30 backhoes and bulldozers, miners dug up 1,500 metric tons of earth a day, leaving in their wake a trail of environmental destruction.

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One side has bulldozers; the other side has humanity.

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When To Use

What does bulldozer mean?

A bulldozer is a large tractor that has a big, blade-like shovel at the front and moves around using metal tracks over wheels.A bulldozer is a kind of earthmover—they are typically used to move earth and clear debris from an area. They are sometimes called dozers for short.Less commonly, bulldozer can also mean a person who intentionally tries to intimidate others. In fact, this was its original use, first recorded in the 1870s.The verb bulldoze comes from around the same time. Today, bulldoze typically means to use a bulldozer, such as to move dirt or clear an area, or, more figuratively, to move forward or advance in an aggressive or forceful way.However, bulldoze originally meant to intimidate, such as with threats of violence. Early records of this use refer to violent attacks, especially whipping, against African Americans by white people in the Southern United States. However, the origin of these words, and how bulldozer came to be a name for a type of tractor, is ultimately unclear.