bullfinch

¹

[ bool-finch ]

noun

1. 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.
2. any of several related or similar birds.

bullfinch

²

[ bool-finch ]

noun

1. a hedge high enough to impede mounted hunters.

bullfinch

¹

/ ˈbʊlˌfɪntʃ /

noun

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

bullfinch

²

/ ˈbʊlˌfɪntʃ /

noun

1. 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
2. any of various similar finches

Word History and Origins

Origin of bullfinch¹

1560–70; bull ¹ (perhaps in sense “bull-necked”) + finch

Origin of bullfinch²

First recorded in 1825–35; of uncertain origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of bullfinch¹

C19: perhaps changed from the phrase bull fence

Origin of bullfinch²

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

Example Sentences

Bullfinches, dried persimmons and a complete first-edition set of Hiroshige’s “Eight Views of the Suburbs of Edo” appear in this wide-ranging dive into the lush, often experimental form known as “surimono.”

From New York Times

A poll conducted by the conservative advocacy group Freedom Works in connection with the Bullfinch Group found that education, crime and safety, and the economy ranked as the top issues for Hispanic voters.

From Washington Times

Abigail and her children “went ten miles from their home in Braintree to Boston, to be inoculated by Dr. Thomas Bullfinch, an expert at the procedure,” Foster wrote.

From Washington Post

Nearly a decade after the abuse of vulnerable girls in Oxford began to be addressed, following years of negligence by police and social services, the last of the so-called Operation Bullfinch trials has ended.

From BBC

The Statue of Freedom didn’t puncture the sky atop the original, wooden, “Bullfinch Dome.”

From Fox News