bull, n. [OE. bule, bul, bole; akin to D. bul, G. bulle, Icel. boli, Lith. bullus, Lett. bollis, Russ. vol'; prob. fr. the root of AS. bellan, E. bellow.].

The male of any species of cattle (Bovidæ); hence, the male of any large quadruped, as the elephant; also, the male of the whale. [1913 Webster]
" The wild bull of the Old Testament is thought to be the oryx, a large species of antelope." [1913 Webster]
One who, or that which, resembles a bull in character or action. Ps. xxii. 12. [1913 Webster]
Taurus, the second of the twelve signs of the zodiac. [1913 Webster]
"At last from Aries rolls the bounteous sun,
And the bright Bull receives him." [1913 Webster]
One who operates in expectation of a rise in the price of stocks, or in order to effect such a rise. See 4th Bear, n., 5. [1913 Webster]
a ludicrously false statement; nonsense. Also used as an expletive. [WordNet 1.5]

Bull baiting, the practice of baiting bulls, or rendering them furious, as by setting dogs to attack them. -- John Bull, a humorous name for the English, collectively; also, an Englishman. “Good-looking young John Bull.” W. D.Howells. -- To take the bull by the horns, to grapple with a difficulty instead of avoiding it.

bull, a.

Of or pertaining to a bull; resembling a bull; male; large; fierce. [1913 Webster]

Bull bat (Zoöl.), the night hawk; -- so called from the loud noise it makes while feeding on the wing, in the evening. -- Bull calf. (a) A stupid fellow. -- Bull mackerel (Zoöl.), the chub mackerel. -- Bull pump (Mining), a direct single-acting pumping engine, in which the steam cylinder is placed above the pump. -- Bull snake (Zoöl.), the pine snake of the United States. -- Bull stag, a castrated bull. See Stag. -- Bull wheel, a wheel, or drum, on which a rope is wound for lifting heavy articles, as logs, the tools in well boring, etc.

bull, v. i.

To be in heat; to manifest sexual desire as cows do. [1913 Webster]

bull, v. t.

To endeavor to raise the market price of; as, to bull railroad bonds; to bull stocks; to bull Lake Shore; to endeavor to raise prices in; as, to bull the market. See 1st Bull, n., 4. [1913 Webster]

bull, n. [OE. bulle, fr. L. bulla bubble, stud, knob, LL., a seal or stamp: cf. F. bulle. Cf. Bull a writing, Bowl a ball, Boil, v. i.].

A seal. See Bulla. [1913 Webster]
A letter, edict, or respect, of the pope, written in Gothic characters on rough parchment, sealed with a bulla, and dated “a die Incarnationis,” i. e., “from the day of the Incarnation.” See Apostolical brief, under Brief. [1913 Webster]
"A fresh bull of Leo's had declared how inflexible the court of Rome was in the point of abuses." [1913 Webster]
A grotesque blunder in language; an apparent congruity, but real incongruity, of ideas, contained in a form of expression; so called, perhaps, from the apparent incongruity between the dictatorial nature of the pope's bulls and his professions of humility. [1913 Webster]
"And whereas the papist boasts himself to be a Roman Catholic, it is a mere contradiction, one of the pope's bulls, as if he should say universal particular; a Catholic schimatic." [1913 Webster]

The Golden Bull, an edict or imperial constitution made by the emperor Charles IV. (1356), containing what became the fundamental law of the German empire; -- so called from its golden seal.

Syn. -- See Blunder.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

bull, n., adj., & v.
--n.
1 a an uncastrated male bovine animal. b a male of the whale, elephant, and other large animals.
2 (the Bull) the zodiacal sign or constellation Taurus.
3 Brit. the bull's-eye of a target.
4 Stock Exch. a person who buys shares hoping to sell them at a higher price later (cf. BEAR(2)).
--adj. like that of a bull (bull neck).
--v.
1 tr. & intr. act or treat violently.
2 Stock Exch. a intr. speculate for a rise. b tr. raise price of (stocks, etc.).

Idiom

bull ant Austral. = bulldog ant. bull at a gate a hasty or rash person. bull-fiddle US colloq. a double-bass. bull-horn a megaphone. bull in a china shop a reckless or clumsy person. bull market a market with shares rising in price. bull-nose (or -nosed) with rounded end. bull session US an informal group discussion. bull's-eye
1 the centre of a target.
2 a large hard peppermint-flavoured sweet.
3 a hemisphere or thick disc of glass in a ship's deck or side to admit light.
4 a small circular window.
5 a a hemispherical lens. b a lantern fitted with this.
6 a boss of glass at the centre of a blown glass sheet.
bull-terrier
1 a short-haired dog of a breed that is a cross between a bulldog and a terrier.
2 this breed. take the bull by the horns face danger or challenge boldly.

Derivative

bullish adj.

bull, n. a papal edict.

bull, n.
1 (also Irish bull) an expression containing a contradiction in terms or implying ludicrous inconsistency.
2 sl. a unnecessary routine tasks or discipline. b nonsense. c trivial or insincere talk or writing. d US a bad blunder (cf. BULLSHIT).

Etymology

17th c.: orig. unkn.

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THESAURUS

bull

Brahman, Dogberry, Indian buffalo, Irish bull, John Law, Pastoral Epistle, aerogram, air letter, airgraph, anacoluthon, andric, appointment, assault, aurochs, babble, balderdash, balls, baloney, bear, bear the market, bear upon, beef, beef cattle, beeves, big, bilge, billet-doux, billy, billy goat, bison, blabber, blague, blah, blah-blah, blather, blatherskite, blooper, bluebottle, bluecoat, blunder, boar, bobby, boner, boost, bop, bosh, bossy, bovine, bovine animal, brevet, bubbly-jock, buck, buffalo, bull account, bull the market, bulldoze, bullock, bullshit, bump, bump against, bungle, bunk, bunkum, bunt, butt, butt against, calf, carabao, catachresis, cattle, chain letter, chanticleer, claptrap, cock, cockerel, commandant, constable, cop, copper, cow, cram, crap, critter, crowd, custodian, dairy cattle, dairy cow, dead letter, declaration, decree, decree-law, decreement, decretal, decretum, dick, dictum, dig, diktat, dimissorial, dimissory letter, dog, dogie, drake, drive, drivel, drool, drop letter, edict, edictum, elbow, encyclical, entire, entire horse, eyewash, fan letter, fat, fiat, flam, flapdoodle, flatfoot, flattie, flimflam, fluff, folk etymology, force, form letter, fuzz, gabble, gammon, gander, gaoler, gas, gendarme, gentlemanlike, gentlemanly, gibber, gibble-gabble, goad, gobbler, governor, grammatical error, great, guard, guardian, guff, gumshoe, gup, hart, he-goat, heifer, hogwash, hoke, hokum, hooey, hornless cow, hot air, humbug, humbuggery, hurtle, husky, hustle, hypercorrection, hyperform, ipse dixit, jab, jabber, jailer, jam, jiggery-pokery, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle, keeper, kine, lapse, law, leppy, letter of credit, letter of introduction, letters credential, letters of marque, letters of request, letters overt, letters patent, letters rogatory, long, long account, long interest, long side, longs, love letter, malaprop, malapropism, malarkey, male, manful, manipulate the market, manlike, manly, mannish, marrowsky, masculine, maverick, milch cow, milcher, milk cow, milker, mispronunciation, missaying, mistake, misusage, monitory, moonshine, muley cow, muley head, musk-ox, neat, newsletter, nixie, nudge, officer, open letter, ordinance, ordonnance, ox, oxen, paddy, pastoral letter, peacock, peeler, peg the market, piffle, pig, pile drive, poison-pen letter, poke, poppycock, prate, prattle, press, principal keeper, prison guard, proclamation, prod, pronouncement, pronunciamento, punch, push, raid the market, ram, ram down, rattle, rescript, rig the market, rooster, rot, round robin, rule, ruling, run, run against, scat, screw, senatus consult, senatus consultum, shake, shamus, shit, shoulder, shove, slip, solecism, spoonerism, stag, stallion, steer, stirk, stot, stress, stud, studhorse, talk nonsense, tamp, the cops, the fuzz, the law, thrust, tom, tom turkey, tomcat, tommyrot, top cow, top horse, trip, tripe, tup, turkey gobbler, turkey-cock, turnkey, twaddle, twattle, ukase, uneffeminate, vapor, waffle, warden, warder, wash sales, wether, whipsaw, wind, wisent, yak, yearling, zebu

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ROGET THESAURUS

bull

Solecism

N solecism, bad grammar, false grammar, faulty grammar, slip of the pen, slip of the tongue, lapsus linguae, slipslop, bull, barbarism, impropriety, ungrammatical, incorrect, inaccurate, faulty, improper, incongruous, solecistic, solecistical.

Command

N command, order, ordinance, act, fiat, hukm, bidding, dictum, hest, behest, call, beck, nod, despatch, dispatch, message, direction, injunction, charge, instructions, appointment, fixture, demand, exaction, imposition, requisition, claim, reclamation, revendication, ultimatum, request, requirement, dictation, dictate, mandate, caveat, decree, senatus consultum, precept, prescript, rescript, writ, ordination, bull, ex cathedra pronouncement, edict, decretal, dispensation, prescription, brevet, placit, ukase, ukaz, firman, hatti- sherif, warrant, passport, mittimus, mandamus, summons, subpoena, nisi prius, interpellation, citation, word, word of command, mot d'ordre, bugle call, trumpet call, beat of drum, tattoo, order of the day, enactment, plebiscite, commanding, authoritative, decretory, decretive, decretal, callable, jussive, in a commanding tone, by a stroke of the pen, by a dash of the pen, by order, at beat of drum, on the first summons, the decree is gone forth, sic volo sic jubeo, le Roi le veut, boutez en avant.

Merchant

N merchant, trader, dealer, monger, chandler, salesman, changer, regrater, shopkeeper, shopman, tradesman, tradespeople, tradesfolk, retailer, chapman, hawker, huckster, higgler, pedlar, colporteur, cadger, Autolycus, sutler, vivandiere, costerman, costermonger, tallyman, camelot, faker, vintner, money broker, money changer, money lender, cambist, usurer, moneyer, banker, jobber, broker, buyer, seller, bear, bull, concern, firm.

Stock Market

N stock market, stock exchange, securities exchange, bourse, board, the big board, the New York Stock Exchange, the market, the open market, over-the-counter market, privately traded issues, commodities exchange, futures exchange, futures market, the pit, the floor, ticker, stock ticker, quotation, stock index, market index, the Dow Jones Index, the Dow Industrials, the transportation index, utilities, the utilities index, the New York Stock Exchange index, the Nikkei index, the Financial Times index, the FTI, the over-the-counter index, NASDAQ index, broker, stockbroker, jobber, stock dealer, odd-lot dealer, specialist, investor, speculator, operator, bull, buyer, bear, short seller, scalper, arbitrager, arbitrageur, stockholder, share-holder, stockholder of record, bond holder, coupon- clipper, investment, speculation.

Animal

N animal, animal kingdom, fauna, brute creation, beast, brute, creature, critter, wight, created being, creeping thing, living thing, dumb animal, dumb creature, zoophyte, mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, crustacean, shellfish, mollusk, worm, insect, arthropod, microbe, microbe, animalcule, alligator, crocodile, saurian, dinosaur (extinct), snake, serpent, viper, eft, asp, aspick, frog, toad, trout, bass, tuna, muskelunge, sailfish, sardine, mackerel, ant, mosquito, bee, honeybee, tardigrade, spider, biped, quadruped, webfoot, flocks and herds, live stock, domestic animals, wild animals, game, ferae naturae, beasts of the field, fowls of the air, denizens of the sea, black game, black grouse, blackcock, duck, grouse, plover, rail, snipe, horse, cattle, kine, ox, bull, bullock, cow, milch cow, calf, heifer, shorthorn, sheep, lamb, lambkin, ewe, ram, tup, pig, swine, boar, hog, sow, steer, stot, tag, teg, bison, buffalo, yak, zebu, dog, cat, dog, hound, pup, puppy, whelp, cur, mongrel, house dog, watch dog, sheep dog, shepherd's dog, sporting dog, fancy dog, lap dog, toy dog, bull dog, badger dog, mastiff, blood hound, grey hound, stag hound, deer hound, fox hound, otter hound, harrier, beagle, spaniel, pointer, setter, retriever, Newfoundland, water dog, water spaniel, pug, poodle, turnspit, terrier, fox terrier, Skye terrier, Dandie Dinmont, collie, feline, puss, pussy, grimalkin, gib cat, tom cat, fox, Reynard, vixen, stag, deer, hart, buck, doe, roe, caribou, coyote, elk, moose, musk ox, sambar, bird, poultry, fowl, cock, hen, chicken, chanticleer, partlet, rooster, dunghill cock, barn door fowl, feathered tribes, feathered songster, singing bird, dicky bird, canary, warbler, finch, aberdevine, cushat, cygnet, ringdove, siskin, swan, wood pigeon, vermin, varmint, pest, animal, zoological equine, bovine, vaccine, canine, feline, fishy, piscatory, piscatorial, molluscous, vermicular, gallinaceous, rasorial, solidungulate, soliped.

Man

N man, male, he, him, manhood, gentleman, sir, master, sahib, yeoman, wight, swain, fellow, blade, beau, elf, chap, gaffer, good man, husband, Mr, mister, boy, cock, drake, gander, dog, boar, stag, hart, buck, horse, entire horse, stallion, gibcat, tomcat, he goat, Billy goat, ram, tup, bull, bullock, capon, ox, gelding, steer, stot, androgen, homosexual, gay, queen, male, he-, masculine, manly, virile, unwomanly, unfeminine, Pron, he, him, his, hominem pagina nostra sapit, homo homini aut deus aut lupus, homo vitae commodatus non donatus est.

Error

N error, fallacy, misconception, misapprehension, misstanding, misunderstanding, inexactness, laxity, misconstruction, miscomputation, non sequitur, mis-statement, mis-report, mumpsimus, mistake, miss, fault, blunder, quiproquo, cross purposes, oversight, misprint, erratum, corrigendum, slip, blot, flaw, loose thread, trip, stumble, botchery, slip of the tongue, slip of the lip, Freudian slip, slip of the pen, lapsus linguae, clerical error, bull, haplography, illusion, delusion, snare, false impression, false idea, bubble, self-decit, self-deception, mists of error, heresy, hallucination, false light, dream, fable, bias, misleading, erroneous, untrue, false, devoid of truth, fallacious, apocryphal, unreal, ungrounded, groundless, unsubstantial, heretical, unsound, illogical, inexact, unexact inaccurate, incorrect, indefinite, illusive, illusory, delusive, mock, ideal, spurious, deceitful, perverted, controvertible, unsustainable, unauthenticated, untrustworthy, exploded, refuted, discarded, in error, under an error, mistaken, tripping, out, out in one's reckoning, aberrant, beside the mark, wide of the mark, wide of the truth, way off, far off, astray, on a false scent, on the wrong scent, in the wrong box, outside the ballpark, at cross purposes, all in the wrong, all out, more or less, errare est humanum, mentis gratissimus error, on the dubious waves of error tost, to err is human, to forgive divine, you lie -- under a mistake.

Absurdity

N absurdity, absurdness, imbecility alogy, nonsense, utter nonsense, paradox, inconsistency, stultiloquy, stultiloquence, nugacity, blunder, muddle, bull, Irishism, Hibernicism, slipslop, anticlimax, bathos, sophism, farce, galimathias, amphigouri, rhapsody, farrago, betise, extravagance, romance, sciamachy, sell, pun, verbal quibble, macaronic, jargon, fustian, twaddle, gibberish, exaggeration, moonshine, stuff, mare's nest, quibble, self- delusion, vagary, tomfoolery, poppycock, mummery, monkey trick, boutade, escapade, absurd, nonsensical, preposterous, egregious, senseless, inconsistent, ridiculous, extravagant, quibbling, self-annulling, self- contradictory, macaronic, punning, foolish sophistical, unmeaning, without rhyme or reason, fantastic, Int, fiddlededee!, pish!, pho!, in the name of the Prophet--figs!, credat Judaeus Apella, tell it to the marines.