the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.
the male of certain other mammals, as elephants and moose.
a large, solidly built person.
a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will increase (opposed to bear).
Astronomy, Astrology. Bull, the constellation or sign of Taurus.
a bulldog.
Slang. a police officer.
male.
of, relating to, or resembling a bull, as in strength.
having to do with or marked by a continuous trend of rising prices, as of stocks.
a bull market.
Stock Exchange. to attempt to raise the price of.
to speculate in, in expectation of a rise in price.
to force; shove.
to bull one's way through a crowd.
Nautical. to ram (a buoy).
take the bull by the horns, to attack a difficult or risky problem fearlessly.
bull in a china shop,
an awkward or clumsy person.
an inconsiderate or tactless person.
a troublemaker; dangerous person.
a bulla or seal.
Roman Catholic Church. a formal papal document having a bulla attached.
any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually mature
the uncastrated adult male of any breed of domestic cattle
the male of various other animals including the elephant and whale
a very large, strong, or aggressive person
stock exchange
a speculator who buys in anticipation of rising prices in order to make a profit on resale
( as modifier ) Compare bear 1
a bull market
short for bull's-eye bull's-eye
slang short for bullshit
short for bulldog bull terrier
a clumsy person
slang
to pass time talking lightly
to boast or exaggerate
to face and tackle a difficulty without shirking
male; masculine
a bull elephant
large; strong
(tr) to raise or attempt to raise the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative buying
(intr) (of a cow) to be on heat
slang (intr) to talk lightly or foolishly
John . 1563–1628, English composer and organist
See John Bull
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”; see bullock
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
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 ; see origin at bulla
A bull is a male cow. You can usually tell which animal in a pasture is a bull by its large size and horns. A male bovine — or cow — is a bull, and so is a male whale or elephant. Fittingly, the word bull is sometimes also used for a particularly bulky, muscular man. Another informal and slightly obscene meaning is "ridiculous," or "not true," as when you tell a lie and your brother rudely replies, "Bull!" This slang meaning has its roots in the Old French bole, "deception or trick."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We really need the government to take the bull by the horns and start tackling the food and drink industry."
From BBC • May 16, 2026
She was hired as an equity research analyst in October 1999, just as the dot-com bull run was shifting into overdrive.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
Knoxville himself was hospitalized with a brain injury after being flipped by a bull during the filming of 2022’s “Jackass Forever” and has said he can’t risk another concussion.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
Newsletter writer Robert Prechter correctly predicted the epic bull market in 1982 but then multiple wipeouts that never occurred.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
For an hour, I moved bolts of fabric, slammed them into place, huffed through my nostrils like a charging bull, and kept my mouth shut.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
