bull

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) An adult male of domesticated cattle or oxen.
2. (broadly, countable, uncountable) An adult male of domesticated cattle or oxen.
3. (countable, uncountable) A male of domesticated cattle or oxen of any age.
4. (countable, uncountable) Any adult male bovine.
5. (countable, uncountable) An adult male of certain large mammals, such as whales, elephants, camels and seals.
6. (countable, uncountable) A large, strong man.
7. (countable, uncountable) An investor who buys (commodities or securities) in anticipation of a rise in prices.
8. (US, countable, slang, uncountable) A policeman; a detective; a railroad security guard.
9. (countable, slang, uncountable) An elderly lesbian.
10. (UK, countable, historical, obsolete, slang, uncountable) A crown coin; its value, 5 shillings.
11. (UK, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountable) Clipping of bullseye.
12. (UK, countable, uncountable) Clipping of bullseye.
13. (Philadelphia, countable, slang, uncountable) A man or boy (derived from the Philadelphia English pronunciation of “boy”, which is practically a homophone of “bull”)
14. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, euphemistic, informal, slang, uncountable) Clipping of bullshit.
15. (countable, uncountable) A man who has sex with someone else's partner, with the consent of both.
16. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A drink made by pouring water into a cask that previously held liquor.
17. (slang, uncountable) Beef.

Adj

1. (not-comparable) Large and strong, like a bull.
2. (attributive, not-comparable) Adult male.
3. (not-comparable) Characterized by rising prices or belief that prices will rise.
4. (not-comparable) Stupid.

Verb

1. (intransitive, often) To force oneself (in a particular direction); to move aggressively.
2. (intransitive) To be in heat; to be ready for mating with a bull.
3. (transitive) To mate with (a cow or heifer).
4. (transitive) To endeavour to raise the market price of.
5. (transitive) To endeavour to raise prices in.

Verb

To publish in a papal bull.

Verb

1. To mock; to cheat.
2. (intransitive) To lie, to tell untruths.
3. (UK, transitive) To polish (boots) to a high shine.

Opposite of

feeble, puny, weak, female, bear

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbʊl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: bole

Cognate with Western Frisian: bolle

Cognate with Dutch: bul

Cognate with German: Bulle

Cognate with Swedish: bulla

Cognate with Old Irish: ball

Cognate with Latin: follis

Cognate with Thracian: βόλινθος

Cognate with Albanian: buall

Cognate with Ancient Greek: φαλλός

Inherited from Middle English: bulle

Inherited from Middle English: bull

Cognate with German: buhlen

Cognate with English: bully

In summary

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 bolle (“testicles”), Ancient Greek φαλλός (phallós, “penis”).

Synonyms

ox

🐂

cow

🐮

bullock

cattle

steer

bullshit

sire

bovine

bull’s eye

papal bull

calf

copper

cop

👮

buck

pig

🐖

Taurus

♉

crap

talk through one’s hat

Irish bull

fuzz

fake

buy for a rise

operate for a rise

Samson

dogshit

water buffalo

🐃

strapper

stud

bruiser

bull through

beef

buffalo

male

♂️

horseshit

shit

💩

centre

central

center

break

balls-up

capital

bovines

fuckup

force

bag

amount

expand

bullseye

exchange

enter

Translations

taureau

Bulle

toro

toro

Stier

stier

ταύρος

touro

byk

taurus

boğa

bulle

bul

toro

brau