John Bull

American  

noun

1. England; the English people.

2. the typical Englishman.

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John Bull British  

noun

1. a personification of England or the English people

2. a typical Englishman

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John Bull Cultural  

1. A figure who stands for England in literary and political satire and in cartoons. John Bull is a stout, feisty man, often shown in a suit made out of the British flag.

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Discover More

John Bull is the British equivalent of the United States'symbol (see also symbol) Uncle Sam.

Other Word Forms

• John Bullish adjective
• John Bullishness noun
• John Bullism noun

Etymology

Origin of John Bull

1705–15; named after John Bull, chief character in Arbuthnot's allegory The History of John Bull (1712)

Example Sentences

Unlike his Catholic contemporaries John Dowland, John Bull and Richard Dering, Byrd didn’t flee the country, opting instead to stay and, in part, abide by the new, state-enforced Protestantism.

From New York Times • Jul. 4, 2023

Half the nearly 29,000 state prisoners have received vaccination shots so far during the ongoing vaccine rollout, said John Bull, a spokesperson for the state Department of Public Safety.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 8, 2021

State Department of Public Safety spokesman John Bull said that a pilot program in several North Carolina prisons began last year.

From Washington Times • Sep. 1, 2020

The Belgian capital has already dressed its famous Mannekin Pis statue of a urinating boy in a John Bull costume, with Union flag waistcoat.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2020

Finally, here was a clear opportunity to strive toward mastering the language of John Bull.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane