bull
bull — noun
1. an adult male in the cattle family; the word is also used for the male of certai
an adult male in the cattle family; the word is also used for the male of certain other huge animals, especially elephants and some sea mammals.
The bull stood by the gate while the calves drank nearby.
bull with calves shows cattle meaning
At the zoo, a bull elephant sprayed water over the fence.
bull + animal name for male
Farm workers moved the bull into a separate field before winter.
During the boat trip, we saw a bull seal fighting near the rocks.
- bull elephant
- bull whale
- breeding bull
- angry bull
- cow
the female animal
Grammar Patterns
a bull elephant
a bull whale
the bull in the field
Usage Note
Usually names the male animal itself. Before another animal word, it can show sex, as in 'bull elephant' or 'bull seal'.
Common Mistakes
2. an investor who believes prices will climb and buys in order to sell later for m
an investor who believes prices will climb and buys in order to sell later for more money.
After the rate cut, every bull on the trading floor was smiling.
bull on the trading floor
Ines stayed a bull on airline shares before the summer rush.
be a bull on + shares
A few bulls kept buying even while the market looked shaky.
On TV, the loudest bull predicted another strong month for gold.
- market bull
- bull on tech stocks
- bullish investor
- bulls and bears
- optimist
broader word; not limited to investing
- buyer
general market word; does not itself imply a rising-price view
- speculator
focuses on risky buying and selling, not necessarily on expecting rises
- bear
an investor who expects prices to fall
Grammar Patterns
a bull on + shares/commodities
bulls and bears
Usage Note
Common in market talk, often in contrast with 'bear'. The subject expects prices to move upward, not downward.
Common Mistakes
3. talk or ideas that you reject as foolish, false, or simply made up.
talk or ideas that you reject as foolish, false, or simply made up.
That's bull, and everyone in the room knew it at once.
fixed reaction: That's bull
Grandpa called bull on the rumor about free flights for everyone.
call bull on + rumor/story
The ad promised instant riches, but Una said it was bull.
When the coach blamed the rain, fans shouted 'Bull!' from the seats.
- talk bull
- a load of bull
- call bull on a story
- pure bull
Grammar Patterns
That's bull
call bull on + noun
Usage Note
Mostly heard in speech or informal writing. It often appears after 'that's' or in the pattern 'call bull on ...' when you openly reject a claim.
Common Mistakes
4. a formal letter from the Pope that announces an important church decision, rule,
a formal letter from the Pope that announces an important church decision, rule, or command.
In 1521, the Pope issued a bull against Martin Luther.
issue a bull
The museum displayed a papal bull with the Pope's lead seal broken.
a bull as a sealed document
Historians studied the papal bull before describing the Pope's order over church lands.
A monk carried the new bull from Rome to the abbey.
- papal bull
- issue a bull
- read a bull aloud
- seal a bull
- decree
broader word for an official order, not specifically from the Pope
- edict
formal order from an authority
- proclamation
public official announcement; broader than this church sense
Grammar Patterns
issue a bull
a papal bull
Usage Note
Usually appears in historical or church writing, often as 'papal bull'. Distinguish from sense 3: this is an official document, not foolish talk.
5. the small middle point of a target, or a shot that lands exactly there.
the small middle point of a target, or a shot that lands exactly there.
Nadia's second dart hit the bull and won the game.
hit the bull
From fifty meters away, the arrow landed just outside the bull.
the bull as target center
The judge marked one bull and two outer rings on Tariq's card.
At practice, the boys cheered when Wen scored a clean bull.
- hit the bull
- score a bull
- clean bull
- inner ring and bull
- bull's-eye
the fuller and more familiar form in everyday English
- center
general word, not limited to target games
- miss
a shot that does not hit the center
Grammar Patterns
hit the bull
score a bull
Usage Note
Used in archery, darts, and similar target sports. It can name the center itself or one exact hit in that center.
A person who behaves in a clumsy or rough way where careful behavior is needed.
Maya entered the meeting like a bull in a china shop, knocking over a cup.
Don't be a bull in a china shop when you handle the antique vase.
Something that is certain to make someone very angry.
Mentioning his ex-wife to him is like waving a red flag in front of a bull.
Bringing up politics at dinner was like waving a red flag in front of a bull.
To have a casual and informal conversation.
After work, Brian and his friends shot the breeze at the park.
We sat on the porch, shooting the breeze until midnight.
To deal with a difficult problem in a brave and direct way.
Sara took the bull by the horns and asked her boss for a raise.
Instead of waiting, Diego took the bull by the horns and fixed the leak.
bull — verb
1. to shove ahead, or make something move ahead, by pushing hard and refusing to be
to shove ahead, or make something move ahead, by pushing hard and refusing to be stopped.
The sheepdog bulled through the reeds and reached the trapped lamb.
bull through + obstacle
Two guards bulled the heavy cart past the stuck bus.
bull + object + past + obstacle
Before sunrise, shoppers bulled toward the front doors of the mall.
Greta bulled her suitcase onto the train before the doors closed.
- bull through a crowd
- bull past a barrier
- bull a cart forward
- bull into place
Grammar Patterns
bull through + obstacle
bull + object + past/into + place
Usage Note
Often combines with path words such as 'through', 'past', and 'into'. The object, when present, is the person or thing being forced forward.
Common Mistakes
2. to rub polish onto boots or shoes until the leather becomes bright and shiny.
to rub polish onto boots or shoes until the leather becomes bright and shiny.
Before parade day, cadets bulled their boots until the leather shone.
bull + boots
Noa sat by the sink and bulled his father's old shoes.
The boots looked dull, so the new recruit bulled them again.
bull them again after inspection
Under the tent light, Bao bulled his parade boots until they shone.
- bull boots
- bull shoes
- bull the leather
- bull them again
Grammar Patterns
bull + boots/shoes
Usage Note
Usually found in military or older contexts. The object is normally boots, shoes, or another leather item that is being polished.
Word family
- bullishadjectiveC1
- bullishlyadverbC2
- bullishnessnounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
These animal words are related, but they do not mean the same thing. 'Bull' is the adult male in the cattle family, especially when sex matters: 'The bull was kept away from the calves.' 'Cow' is the adult female. 'Ox' often means a strong working animal trained to pull heavy loads, so it describes job and use more than sex. 'Bullock' is used in some places for a young male or a castrated male cow, not for every adult bull. 'Calf' is the young animal before it becomes fully grown. So if you are talking about breeding or male animals in general, choose 'bull'; if you mean a farm animal pulling a cart, 'ox' is often better.
Etymology
This word goes back to Old English 'bula', from an older Germanic word for the male of cattle. Related forms are found in other Germanic languages such as Dutch and German. The animal meaning is the oldest one in English. Later, English developed figurative uses from ideas linked with the animal's force and directness, including the finance sense for someone expecting prices to rise and the informal sense meaning foolish or false talk.