bulldog

bulldog — noun

1. a strong, low dog breed with a broad flat face, a thick body, and short legs.

1.nounB2
Definition

a strong, low dog breed with a broad flat face, a thick body, and short legs.

Example

Bao's bulldog snored under the table, its flat face pressed to Bao's shoe.

flat-faced bulldog

At the dog show, Greta cleaned her bulldog's wrinkled face before judging.

wrinkled bulldog face

Common collocations
  • English bulldog
  • French bulldog
  • bulldog puppy
  • pet bulldog
Synonyms
  • boxer

    another strong dog breed, but usually taller and more active-looking

  • pug

    much smaller, with a similar flat face but a less powerful body

  • mastiff

    far larger and heavier than a bulldog

Grammar Patterns

a bulldog

English bulldog

French bulldog

Usage Note

Usually used for the breed itself or for one pet of that breed. In everyday English, English bulldog and French bulldog name particular types within the wider bulldog group.

Common Mistakes

My uncle has bulldog.
My uncle has a bulldog.
bulldog is a countable noun, so singular use needs a determiner.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Bulldog names a short, heavy dog breed with a broad face and a solid body. Boxer is also muscular, but it is usually taller, slimmer, and more energetic in movement. Pug is much smaller and is often thought of as a companion dog, even though it also has a flat face. Mastiff points to a much larger and heavier dog, often linked with guarding strength rather than the compact shape of a bulldog. So bulldog fits a dog snoring on the sofa with a low, sturdy build. If the dog is small and round-faced, pug is better. If it is big enough to tower over most people, mastiff is the clearer choice.

bulldog ↗boxer ↗pugmastiff

Common collocations

Nouns

  • English bulldog
  • French bulldog
  • bulldog puppy

Phrases

  • own a bulldog
  • walk a bulldog

Etymology

English

Bulldog is an English compound made from bull and dog. It first referred to a powerful dog used in Britain in the past for bull-baiting, and later became the ordinary name of the modern breed.