Trends ofbull
View usage for:
bull
(bʊl)
Word forms: plural bulls
1. countable noun
A bull is a male animal of the cow family.
2. countable noun
Some other male animals, including elephants and whales, are called bulls.
...a massive bull elephant with huge tusks.
3. countable noun
On the stock market, bulls are people who buy shares in expectation of a price rise, in order to make a profit by selling the shares again after a short time. Compare bear2.
[business]4. countable noun
In the Roman Catholic church, a papal bull is an official statement on a particular subject that is issued by the Pope.
5. uncountable noun
If you say that something is bull or a load of bull, you mean that it is complete nonsense or absolutely untrue.
[informal] I think it's a load of bull.
The press couldn't deal with that so they made up all this bull.
6. See also cock-and-bull story, pit bull terrier
7.
See bull in a china shop
8.
See a bull in a china shop
9.
See to take the bull by the horns
10. like a red rag to a bull
bull in British English 1
(bʊl)
noun
1.
any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually mature
▶ Related adjective: taurine2.
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
a.
a speculator who buys in anticipation of rising prices in order to make a profit on resale
b.
(as modifier)
a bull market
Compare bear2 (sense 5)6. mainly British short for bull's-eye (sense 1), bull's-eye (sense 2)
7. slang short for bullshit
8. short for bulldog, bull terrier
9. a bull in a china shop
10. shoot the bull
11. take the bull by the horns
adjective
12.
male; masculine
a bull elephant
13.
large; strong
verb
14. (transitive)
to raise or attempt to raise the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative buying
15. (intransitive)
(of a cow) to be on heat
16. (intransitive) US slang
to talk lightly or foolishly
Word origin
Old English bula, from Old Norse boli; related to Middle Low German bulle, Middle Dutch bollebull in British English 2
(bʊl)
noun
a ludicrously self-contradictory or inconsistent statement
Also called: Irish bullWord origin
C17: of uncertain originbull in British English 3
(bʊl)
noun
a formal document issued by the pope, written in antiquated characters and often sealed with a leaden bulla
Word origin
C13: from Medieval Latin bulla seal attached to a bull, from Latin: round objectBull in British English 1
(bʊl)
noun
the Bull
Bull in British English 2
(bʊl)
noun
1.
John. 1563–1628, English composer and organist
2. John Bull
bull in American English 1
(bʊl)
noun
1.
the adult male of any bovine animal, as the ox, buffalo, etc.
2.
the adult male of certain other large animals, as the elephant, elk, moose, walrus, whale, etc.
3.
a person who buys stocks or securities in the expectation that their prices willrise, or who seeks to bring about such a rise, in order to sell them at a profit
see also bear2 (sense 3)4.
a person regarded as like a bull in size, strength, etc.
5.
a bulldog
6. US, Slang
a policeman or detective
7. US, Slang
bullshit
verb transitive
8. US
to make (one's way) with driving force
9. US, Slang
to bluff, as with insincere talk
verb intransitive
10. Slang
to talk foolishly, insincerely, etc.
adjective
11.
male
12.
like a bull in size, strength, etc.
13.
rising in price
a bull market
Idioms:
shoot the bull
take the bull by the horns
the Bull
Word origin
ME bole < OE bula, a steer; akin to ON boli, Ger bulle < IE base *bhel-: see ball1bull in American English 2
(bʊl)
noun
1.
bulla (sense 1)
2.
an official document, edict, or decree, esp. one from the pope
Word origin
ME & OFr bulle < LL bulla, a seal < L, anything round, knob, bubble: for IE base see bigbull in American English 3
(bʊl)
noun
a ludicrously illogical or incongruous mistake in statement (Ex.: I'm glad I hate onions because if I liked onions, I'd eat them, and I can't stand onions)
Word origin
< ? ME bul, trickery, liebull in American English 4
bulletin
bull- in American English
(bʊl)
1.
of a bull or bulls
bullfight
2.
like a bull or bull's
bullhead
3.
large or male
bullfrog
Word origin
< bull1bull in Finance
(bʊl)
Word forms: (regular plural) bulls
noun
(Finance: Investment, Stocks)
bear, bull marketA bull is a person who buys shares of stock when they expect the price to rise in order to make a profit by selling the shares again after a shorttime.
Undeterred, the bulls predict further gains in the months ahead as investors sniff out unrealized potential.
A bull expects the market or markets to go up.
A bull is a person who buys shares of stock when they expect the price to rise in orderto make a profit by selling the shares again after a short time.
More idioms containingbull
a cock and bull story
take the bull by the horns
a red rag to a bull
a bull in a china shop
Image ofbull
© Iakov Filimonov, shutterstock
Examples of 'bull' in a sentencebull
Word lists withbull
related adjectives, faunaIn other languagesbull
British English: bull /bʊl/ NOUN
A bull is a male animal of the cow family.
- American English: bull
- Arabic: ثَوْر
- Brazilian Portuguese: touro
- Chinese: 公牛
- Croatian: bik životinja
- Czech: býk
- Danish: tyr
- Dutch: stier dier
- European Spanish: toro
- Finnish: härkä eläin
- French: taureau
- German: Stier
- Greek: ταύρος
- Italian: toro
- Japanese: 雄牛
- Korean: 황소
- Norwegian: okse
- Polish: byk zwierzę
- European Portuguese: touro
- Romanian: taur
- Russian: бык
- Latin American Spanish: toro
- Swedish: tjur
- Thai: วัวตัวผู้
- Turkish: boğa
- Ukrainian: бик
- Vietnamese: bò đực
Chinese translation of 'bull'
bull
(bul)
n (c)
- (Zool)
公牛
(gōngniú) (头, tóu) - (= male elephant/whale)
雄兽(獸)
(xióngshòu) - (Rel)
教皇诏(詔)书(書)
(jiàohuáng zhàoshū)
related words
related adjective taurine
Synonyms of 'bull'
bull
Explore 'bull' in the dictionary