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bull1

Pronunciation: /bʊl/

Translate bull | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of bull

noun

  • 1an uncastrated male bovine animal: [as modifier]:bull calves
  • a large male animal, especially a whale or elephant.
  • (the Bull) the zodiacal sign or constellation Taurus.
  • 2British a bullseye: aim for the bull!
  • 3 Stock Exchange a person who buys shares hoping to sell them at a higher price later. Often contrasted with bear2.

verb

  • 1 [with object and adverbial of direction] informal push or move powerfully or violently:he bulled the motor cycle clear of the tunnel
  • 2 [no object] (be bulling) (of a cow) behave in a manner characteristic of being on heat.

Phrases

like a bull at a gate

taking action hastily and without thought: I try not to analyse anything—I just go in like a bull at a gate

like a bull in a china shop

behaving recklessly and clumsily in a situation where one is likely to cause damage: he was rushing about like a bull in a china shop

take the bull by the horns

deal decisively with a difficult or dangerous situation: she decided to take the bull by the horns and organize things for herself

Origin:

late Old English bula (recorded in place names), from Old Norse boli. Compare with bullock

bull in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of bull in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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