bull

¹

[ bool ]

noun

1. the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.
2. the male of certain other mammals, as elephants and moose.
3. a large, solidly built person.
4. a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will increase ( bear ).
5. Bull, Astronomy, Astrology. the constellation or sign of Taurus.
6. a bulldog.
7. Slang. a police officer.

adjective

1. male.
2. of, relating to, or resembling a bull, as in strength.
3. having to do with or marked by a continuous trend of rising prices, as of stocks:

   a bull market.

verb (used with object)

1. Stock Exchange. to attempt to raise the price of.
2. to speculate in, in expectation of a rise in price.
3. to force; shove:

   to bull one's way through a crowd.

4. Nautical. to ram (a buoy).

bull

²

[ bool ]

noun

, Slang.

1. exaggeration, lies, or nonsense.

bull

³

[ bool ]

noun

1. a bulla or seal.
2. Roman Catholic Church. a formal papal document having a bulla attached.

Bull

⁴

[ bool ]

noun

1. O·le (Bor·ne·mann) [oh, -l, uh, , bor, -n, uh, -mahn], 1810–80, Norwegian violinist and composer.

bull.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. bulletin.

bull

¹

/ bʊl /

noun

1. any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually mature taurine
2. the uncastrated adult male of any breed of domestic cattle
3. the male of various other animals including the elephant and whale
4. a very large, strong, or aggressive person
5. stock exchange
   1. a speculator who buys in anticipation of rising prices in order to make a profit on resale
   2. ( as modifier ) Compare bear 1

      a bull market

6. short for bull's-eye bull's-eye
7. slang.
   short for bullshit
8. short for bulldog bull terrier
9. a bull in a china shop
   a clumsy person
10. shoot the bull slang.
    1. to pass time talking lightly
    2. to boast or exaggerate
11. take the bull by the horns
    to face and tackle a difficulty without shirking

adjective

1. male; masculine

   a bull elephant

2. large; strong

verb

1. tr to raise or attempt to raise the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative buying
2. intr (of a cow) to be on heat
3. slang.
   intr to talk lightly or foolishly

Bull

²

/ bʊl /

noun

1. BullJohn15631628MEnglishMUSIC: composerMUSIC: organist John . 1563–1628, English composer and organist
2. See John Bull

Bull

³

/ bʊl /

noun

1. the Bull
   the constellation Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac

bull

⁴

/ bʊl /

noun

1. a formal document issued by the pope, written in antiquated characters and often sealed with a leaden bulla

bull

⁵

/ bʊl /

noun

1. a ludicrously self-contradictory or inconsistent statement Also calledIrish bull

Other Words From

• bull-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bull¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bule, Old English bula; akin to Old Norse boli; Greek phallós “penis,” from a root meaning “to swell”; bullock

Origin of bull²

First recorded in 1620–30; from Medieval Latin bulla “play, game, jest,” perhaps special use of Latin bulla “bubble”; now generally taken as a euphemistic shortening of bullshit

Origin of bull³

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bull(e) “a (lead) seal affixed to a papal edict, papal edict; official sealed document,” from Medieval Latin bulla “seal, sealed document,” from Latin ; bulla

Word History and Origins

Origin of bull¹

Old English bula , from Old Norse boli ; related to Middle Low German bulle , Middle Dutch bolle

Origin of bull²

C13: from Medieval Latin bulla seal attached to a bull, from Latin: round object

Origin of bull³

C17: of uncertain origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. bull in a china shop,
   1. an awkward or clumsy person.
   2. an inconsiderate or tactless person.
   3. a troublemaker; dangerous person.
2. shoot / throw the bull, Slang. to talk aimlessly:

   We just sat around shooting the bull.

3. take the bull by the horns, to attack a difficult or risky problem fearlessly.

More idioms and phrases containing bull

• cock and bull story
• hit the bull's-eye
• shoot the breeze (bull)
• take the bull by the horns

Example Sentences

She continued to call Oliver “an undoubtedly intelligent person spouts absolute bull***t to support something he wants to be true, but isn’t.”

From Salon

Researchers say it is also important to see whether the LED lighting is effective in deterring other shark species known to attack humans, including bull sharks and tiger sharks.

From BBC

I don’t know how I could have been that cynical at 22 but I had already experienced a year or two of empty promises and the bull— that is this business.

From Los Angeles Times

To find Taurus, look for the constellation Orion and then peer to the north-east to find the red star Aldebaran, the star in the bull's eye.

From BBC

The three-hour bull session allowed the Republican nominee to launch fact-light tirades, including a riff about children undergoing sex change operations at school, along with boasts about his own toughness with adversaries such as China.

From Los Angeles Times