bull

I. noun Etymology: Middle English bule, from Old English bula; akin to Old Norse boli bull Date: before 12th century 1. a. a male bovine; especially an adult uncastrated male domestic bovine b. a usually adult male of various large animals (as elephants, whales, or seals) 2. one who buys securities or commodities in expectation of a price rise or who acts to effect such a rise — compare bear 3. one that resembles a bull (as in brawny physique) 4. bulldog 5. slang police officer, detective 6. capitalized Taurus II. adjective Date: 13th century 1. a. of or relating to a bull b. male <

a bull calf

> c. suggestive of a bull 2. large of its kind <

a bull lathe

> III. verb Date: 1884 intransitive verb to advance forcefully transitive verb 1. to act on with violence 2. force <

bulled his way through the crowd

> IV. noun Etymology: Middle English bulle, from Medieval Latin bulla, from Latin, bubble, amulet Date: 14th century 1. a solemn papal letter sealed with a bulla or with a red-ink imprint of the device on the bulla 2. edict, decree V. verb Date: 1609 transitive verb slang to fool especially by fast boastful talk intransitive verb slang to engage in idle and boastful talk VI. noun Etymology: perhaps from obsolete bull to mock Date: 1640 1. a grotesque blunder in language 2. slang empty boastful talk 3. slang nonsense 2 VII. abbreviation bulletin