bull1
- the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.
- the male of certain other animals, as the elephant and moose.
- a large, solidly built person.
- a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will increase (opposed to bear).
- (initial capital letter) Astronomy, Astrology. the constellation or sign of Taurus.
- a bulldog.
- Slang. a police officer.
- male.
- of, relating to, or resembling a bull, as in strength.
- having to do with or marked by a continuous trend of rising prices, as of stocks: a bull market.
- Stock Exchange. to attempt to raise the price of.
- to speculate in, in expectation of a rise in price.
- to force; shove: to bull one's way through a crowd.
- Nautical. to ram (a buoy).
- bull in a china shop,
- an awkward or clumsy person.
- an inconsiderate or tactless person.
- a troublemaker; dangerous person.
- take the bull by the horns, to attack a difficult or risky problem fearlessly.
Origin of bull1
Bull1
- the Bull the constellation Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac
Bull2
- John . 1563–1628, English composer and organist
- See John Bull
bull1
- any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually matureRelated adjective: taurine
- the uncastrated adult male of any breed of domestic cattle
- the male of various other animals including the elephant and whale
- a very large, strong, or aggressive person
- stock exchange
- a speculator who buys in anticipation of rising prices in order to make a profit on resale
- (as modifier)a bull market Compare bear 1 (def. 5)
- mainly British short for bull's-eye (def. 1), bull's-eye (def. 2)
- slang short for bullshit
- short for bulldog, bull terrier
- a bull in a china shop a clumsy person
- shoot the bull US and Canadian slang
- to pass time talking lightly
- to boast or exaggerate
- take the bull by the horns to face and tackle a difficulty without shirking
- male; masculinea bull elephant
- large; strong
- (tr) to raise or attempt to raise the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative buying
- (intr) (of a cow) to be on heat
- (intr) US slang to talk lightly or foolishly
Word Origin
bull2
- a ludicrously self-contradictory or inconsistent statementAlso called: Irish bull
Word Origin
bull3
- a formal document issued by the pope, written in antiquated characters and often sealed with a leaden bulla
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for take the bull by the horns
bull
n.1
"bovine male animal," from Old English bula "a bull, a steer," or Old Norse boli "bull," both from Proto-Germanic *bullon- (cf. Middle Dutch bulle, Dutch bul, German Bulle), perhaps from a Germanic verbal stem meaning "to roar," which survives in some German dialects and perhaps in the first element of boulder (q.v.). The other possibility [Watkins] is that the Germanic root is from PIE *bhln-, from root *bhel- (2) "to blow, inflate, swell" (see bole).
An uncastrated male, reared for breeding, as opposed to a bullock or steer. Extended after 1610s to males of other large animals (elephant, alligator, whale, etc.). Stock market sense is from 1714 (see bear (n.)). Meaning "policeman" attested by 1859. Figurative phrase to take the bull by the horns first recorded 1711. To be a bull in a china shop, figurative of careless and inappropriate use of force, attested from 1812 and was the title of a popular humorous song in 1820s England. Bull-baiting attested from 1570s.
bull
n.2
"papal edict," c.1300, from Medieval Latin bulla "sealed document" (source of Old French bulle, Italian bulla), originally the word for the seal itself, from Latin bulla "round swelling, knob," said ultimately to be from Gaulish, from PIE *beu-, a root supposed to have formed words associated with swelling (cf. Lithuanian bule "buttocks," Middle Dutch puyl "bag," also possibly Latin bucca "cheek").
bull
v.
"push through roughly," 1884, from bull (n.1). Related: Bulled; bulling.
bull
n.3
"false talk, fraud," Middle English, apparently from Old French bole "deception, trick, scheming, intrigue," and perhaps connected to modern Icelandic bull "nonsense."
Sais christ to ypocrites ... yee ar ... all ful with wickednes, tresun and bull. ["Cursor Mundi," early 14c.]
There also was a verb bull meaning "to mock, cheat," which dates from 1530s.
take the bull by the horns
Take the initiative in confronting a difficult position: “You'll never decide what you want in life by just thinking about it; you must take the bull by the horns and try out a few possibilities.”
Idioms and Phrases with take the bull by the horns
take the bull by the horns
Confront a problem head-on, as in We'll have to take the bull by the horns and tackle the Medicare question. This term most likely alludes to grasping a safely tethered bull, not one the matador is fighting in the ring. [c. 1800]
bull
In addition to the idioms beginning with bull
- bull in a china shop
- bull session
also see:
- cock and bull story
- hit the bull's-eye
- shoot the breeze (bull)
- take the bull by the horns