bullfinch

[ bool-finch ]

/ ˈbʊlˌfɪntʃ /

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noun

a European finch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, often kept as a pet, the male of which has a black, white, and bluish-gray back and a rosy breast.

any of several related or similar birds.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of bullfinch

1560–70; bull¹ (perhaps in sense “bull-necked”) + finch

Words nearby bullfinch

bullet train, bullet wood, bull fiddle, bullfight, bullfighter, bullfinch, bull float, bullfrog, bull gun, bullhead, bullheaded

Other definitions for bullfinch (2 of 2)

bullfinch²

[ bool-finch ]

/ ˈbʊlˌfɪntʃ /

noun

a hedge high enough to impede mounted hunters.

Origin of bullfinch

First recorded in 1825–35; of uncertain origin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bullfinch in a sentence

Little Blue—Bullfinch's tail feather for wings, dark blue silk for body, dark blue hackle for legs, tail do.
The Teesdale Angler|R Lakeland
See my colours how bright they are, so that you would hardly know me from a bullfinch.
Wood Magic|Richard Jefferies
There was nothing that Rachel was anxious to carry away with her but a little bullfinch, of which she was very fond.
Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10)|Maria Edgeworth
The bold and handsome bullfinch builds in the low hawthorn hedge which bounds it upon one side.
The Hills and the Vale|Richard Jefferies

Now, Bullfinch was that broker with whom the Colonel had his dealings.
The Barrier|Allen French

British Dictionary definitions for bullfinch (1 of 2)

bullfinch¹

/ (ˈbʊlˌfɪntʃ) /

noun

a common European finch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula : the male has a bright red throat and breast, black crown, wings, and tail, and a grey-and-white back

any of various similar finches

Word Origin for bullfinch

C14: see bull 1, finch; probably so called from its stocky shape and thick neck

British Dictionary definitions for bullfinch (2 of 2)

bullfinch²

/ (ˈbʊlˌfɪntʃ) /

noun

British a high thick hedge too difficult for a horse and rider to jump

Word Origin for bullfinch

C19: perhaps changed from the phrase bull fence

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012