bull
- bull
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bull (1) O.E. bula "
a bull, a steer," or
O.N. boli "
bull," both from
P.Gmc. *bullon- (
Cf. M.Du. bulle,
Ger. Bulle), perhaps from a Germanic verbal stem meaning "
to roar," which survives in some German dialects and perhaps in the first element of
BOULDER (
Cf. boulder) (
q.v.). The other possibility is that it is from
PIE *bhln-, from
root *bhel- (2) "
to blow, inflate, swell" (see
BOLE (
Cf. bole)).
An uncastrated male, reared for breeding, as opposed to a
bullock or
steer. Extended after 1610s to males of other large animals (elephant, alligator, whale,
etc.). Stock market sense is from 1714.
Bulldyke is from 1926 (see
DYKE (
Cf. dyke)).
Bullheaded "
obstinate" is from 1818. Phrase
to take the bull by the horns first recorded 1711.
{{12}}bull (2) "papal edict," c.1300, from L. bulla "sealed document" (Cf. O.Fr. bulle, It. bulla), originally the word for the seal itself, from bulla "round swelling, knob," said ultimately to be from Gaulish, from PIE *beu-, a root supposed to have formed words associated with swelling (Cf. Lith. bule "buttocks," M.Du. puyl "bag").
Etymology dictionary.
2014.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
Bull — Lema Architecte d un monde ouvert (Arquitecto de un mundo abierto) Fundación 1931 : creación Sede Les Clayes sous Bois (Francia) … Wikipedia Español
Bull — (englisch für: „Bulle“, „Stier“) bezeichnet: ein französisches Unternehmen, siehe Bull (Computerhersteller) ein Kartenspiel, siehe Schwimmen (Kartenspiel) Bull steht für: John Bull, Personifikation des Vereinigten Königreichs John Bull… … Deutsch Wikipedia
bull — bull; bull·beg·gar; bull·ber·ry; bull·dog·ged; bull·dog·ger; bull·dog·gish; bull·dog·gy; bull·doze; bull·doz·er; bull·fist; bull·gine; bull·head·ed·ly; bull·head·ed·ness; bull·ish; bull·ock·ing; bull·pout; chryso·bull; wei·bull·ite; bull·shot;… … English syllables
Bull — Bull, a. Of or pertaining to a bull; resembling a bull; male; large; fierce. [1913 Webster] {Bull bat} (Zo[ o]l.), 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 … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Bull — 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.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) The male of any species of cattle ({Bovid[ae]}); hence, the male of any large … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Bull — Bull, John * * * (as used in expressions) Bull Run, batallas de bull terrier Bull, John Bull, Ole (Bornemann) Bull Halsey Partido Bull Moose staffordshire bull terrier … Enciclopedia Universal
Bull — Bull, v. t. (Stock Exchange) 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] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
bull — bull1 [bool] n. [ME bole < OE bula, a steer; akin to ON boli, Ger bulle < IE base * bhel : see BALL1] 1. the adult male of any bovine animal, as the ox, buffalo, etc. 2. the adult male of certain other large animals, as the elephant, elk,… … English World dictionary
Bull — Bụll 〈m. 6; Börse〉 = Haussier; Ggs Bear [engl., „Bulle“ (nach der Vorstellung, dass der Bulle die Aktienkurse mit seinen Hörnern nach oben treibt)] * * * I Bull, früher Honeywell Bull, europäische Informationstechnologiegruppe mit Hauptsitz in… … Universal-Lexikon
bull — Ⅰ. bull [1] ► NOUN 1) an uncastrated male bovine animal. 2) a large male animal, e.g. a whale or elephant. 3) Brit. a bullseye. 4) Stock Exchange a person who buys shares hoping to sell them at a higher price later. Often contrasted with BEAR(Cf … English terms dictionary
Bull — 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.] 1. A seal. See {Bulla}. [1913 Webster] 2. A letter, edict, or respect, of the pope, written in Gothic… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
