bulldozer

American  

[bool-doh-zer] / ˈbʊlˌdoʊ zər /

noun

bulldozers plural

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.

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bulldozer British  

/ 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

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bulldozers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bulldozer

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

Explanation

A bulldozer is a large truck with a wide blade that can dig and push dirt and debris. You'll often see a bulldozer among the vehicles on a construction site. Although many people have a tendency to call any giant truck a bulldozer, it's actually a specific kind of tractor with a blade called a "dozer blade" at the front and a big claw, or "ripper" at the back. A bulldozer can run over any rubble or trash and clear it away — this ability led to the slang meaning of the word, "powerful, intimidating person."

Example Sentences

"Bulldozer baba" was a name given to Mr Adityanath by the local press, but it stuck after his main rival Akhilesh Yadav used it at a rally.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2022

A Russian company, the Bulldozer Group, owns a dozen upscale restaurants and nightclubs in Dubai, including the local Cipriani outpost.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 9, 2022

Years ago, Magufuli earned the nickname "Bulldozer" because of his apparently corruption-free efforts to improve Tanzania's road network as a government minister.

From US News • Oct. 6, 2016

The Bulldozer merely harrumphed that Tanzania would soon no longer need aid and told the revenue authority to squeeze even harder.

From Economist • May 26, 2016

An expert on welfare and relations between state and federal governments, Mr. Anderson’s first book was “The Federal Bulldozer: A Critical Analysis of Urban Renewal, 1949-1962.”

From New York Times • Jan. 5, 2015