bulldog

[ bool-dawg, -dog ]

noun

1. one of an English breed of medium-sized, short-haired, muscular dogs with prominent, undershot jaws, usually having a white and tan or brindled coat, raised originally for bullbaiting.
2. Informal. a stubbornly persistent person.
3. a short-barreled revolver of large caliber.
4. Metallurgy. slag from a puddling furnace.
5. an assistant to the proctor at Oxford and Cambridge universities.

adjective

1. like or characteristic of a bulldog or of a bulldog's jaws:

   bulldog obstinacy.

verb (used with object)

, bull·dogged, bull·dog·ging.

1. to attack in the manner of a bulldog.
2. Western U.S. to throw (a calf, steer, etc.) to the ground by seizing the horns and twisting the head.

bulldog

/ ˈbʊlˌdɒɡ /

noun

1. a sturdy thickset breed of dog with an undershot jaw, short nose, broad head, and a muscular body
2. (at Oxford University) an official who accompanies the proctors on ceremonial occasions
3. commerce a fixed-interest bond issued in Britain by a foreign borrower

Other Words From

• bulldogged·ness noun
• bulldogger noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bulldog¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; bull ¹ + dog

Example Sentences

Emergency services were called to Bells Lane in Cinderhill, Nottingham, on 1 October where a woman was found with serious injuries and a British bulldog, called Winnie, was later reported missing from a nearby property.

From BBC

Local media have reported that two of the dogs were bulldogs and the third was a pit bull.

From BBC

On the island itself, I spot British police cars and a nightclub called the Brit Club with a bulldog logo.

From BBC

An oval abrasion on a French bulldog’s ear was rimmed by crusty discharge.

From Los Angeles Times

Police had launched an urgent appeal for help in tracing two American bulldog types.

From BBC

Related Words

• community
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• weekly