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bull

Pronunciation: /bʊl/

The English word “bull” has 20 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. Specifically, one that is uncastrated.
  2. Any bovine of an aggressive or long-horned breed regardless of age and sex.
  3. A male of domesticated cattle or oxen of any age.
  4. Any adult male bovine.
  5. An adult male of certain large mammals, such as whales, elephants, camels and seals.
  6. Beef.
  7. A large, strong man.
  8. An investor who buys (commodities or securities) in anticipation of a rise in prices.
  9. A policeman; a detective; a railroad security guard.
  10. An elderly lesbian.
  11. A man who has sex with someone else's partner.
  12. A man or boy.
  13. A crown coin; its value, 5 shillings.
  14. The central portion of a target, inside the inner and magpie.
  15. A drink made by pouring water into a cask that previously held liquor.

adjective

  1. Large and strong, like a bull.
  2. Of large mammals, adult male.
  3. Characterized by rising prices or belief that prices will rise.
  4. Stupid.

verb

  1. To force oneself (in a particular direction); to move aggressively.

Etymology

From Middle English bole, bul, bule, from a conflation of Old English bula (“bull, steer”) and Old Norse boli, both from Proto-Germanic *bulô (“bull”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰl̥no-, from *bʰel- (“to blow, swell up”). Cognate with West Frisian bolle, Dutch bul, German Low German Bull, German Bulle, Swedish bulla; also Old Irish ball (“limb”), Latin follis (“bellows, leather bag”), Albanian…

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