Bull
/bʊl/
Definitions
3 meaningsAn adult male of cattle.
/bʊl/
Adult male bovine
The bull charged at the matador.
💡 Simply: A grown-up male cow.
More Examples
A prize-winning bull was at the county fair.
How It's Used
"The farmer led the bull into the pasture."
"The zoo houses several species of wild bull."
Someone who invests in the expectation of rising prices.
/bʊl/
A market speculator who expects prices to rise.
The market is bullish today.
💡 Simply: Someone who thinks prices will go up.
More Examples
He's a seasoned bull in the commodity market.
How It's Used
"He's a bull in the stock market, always betting on rising prices."
Nonsense, rubbish.
/bʊl/
Nonsense; lies
That's a load of bull!
💡 Simply: Something that isn't true.
More Examples
I don't believe that bull for a second.
How It's Used
"Don't give me that bull!"
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
Take the bull by the horns
To confront a difficult situation directly and bravely.
"She decided to take the bull by the horns and address her boss about the unfair treatment."
From Old English *bulluca, from Proto-Germanic *buluz, ultimately of unknown origin. Its meaning has evolved from a young bull to encompass various metaphorical uses.
The word 'bull' has maintained its core meaning relating to cattle across many centuries, with figurative uses developing later.
Memory tip
Think of a strong, powerful animal.
Word Origin
"Likely related to an early word for an adult male bovine."