bull

a.

Of or pertaining to a bull; resembling a bull; male; large; fierce.

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. [Colloq.]

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.

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.

2. 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.

A fresh bull of Leo's had declared how inflexible the court of Rome was in the point of abuses.

Atterbury.

3. 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.

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.

Milton.

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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noun

1. A member of a law-enforcement agency: bluecoat, finest, officer, patrolman, patrolwoman, peace officer, police, policeman, police officer, policewoman. Informal cop, law. Slang copper, flatfoot, fuzz, gendarme, heat, man (often uppercase). Chiefly British bobby, constable, peeler. See law.
2. Something that does not have or make sense: balderdash, blather, bunkum, claptrap, drivel, garbage, idiocy, nonsense, piffle, poppycock, rigmarole, rubbish, tomfoolery, trash, twaddle. Informal tommyrot. Slang applesauce, baloney, bilge, bunk, crap, hooey, malarkey. See knowledge/ignorance.

bull²

noun

A stupid, clumsy mistake: blunder, bungle, foozle, fumble, muff, stumble. Informal blooper, boner. Slang bloomer, goof. See correct/incorrect.

Idioms beginning with bull:
bullet
bulletin board
bull in a china shop
bullshit artist

See also cock and bull story; hit the bull's-eye; shoot the breeze (bull); take the bull by the horns.

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[Middle English, OE, ON]

The male bovine animal has long been an important figure in the Celtic imagination, especially as an emblem of strength and virility, although less important than the boar or stag and less important than in other cultures, notably Persian, Syrian, Minoan, and Iberian. The word for ‘bull’ is remarkably uniform across Celtic languages: Old Irish tarb; Modern Irish and Scottish Gaelic tarbh; Manx tarroo; Welsh tarw; Cornish tarow; Breton tarv. Representations of the bull are found in Celtic art as early as the Urnfield period (c.800 BC), often associated with the egret. The divine bull of Celtic settlements in Asia Minor was known as Deotaros. The Gauls worshipped a three-horned bull known as Tarvos trigaranus, one representation of which is found in the Cluny Museum, Paris. Bulls appeared on Gaulish coins, and may have been venerated in such names as Donnotaurus [Brown or Kingly Bull]. Figures of bulls are carved in stone near Burghead, Morayshire. Several heroes in Celtic stories wear bull horns, e.g. Furbaide Ferbend.

The most celebrated bulls in Celtic literature are the brown (Donn Cuailnge) and white (Finnbennach) ones in the Táin Bó Cuailnge [Cattle Raid of Cooley]. The battle between them and the subsequent victory of the brown bull is the climax of the narrative. Many commentators have observed that both bulls are probably of divine origin. Two bulls associated with water appear in Celtic folk-lore, the Scottish Gaelic tarbh uisge and the Manx tarroo ushtey, comparable figures that are less malign than horses of the water. Another Scottish bull was thought to have defeated an English one, according to a tradition associated with a stone known as Clach nan Tarbh near Loch Lomond. In Christian times the bull was identified with St Luke the Evangelist, and in Renaissance physics the bull was linked with earth, one of the four elements.

Bulls were used in divination in both Ireland and Scotland. At Tara a new king might be chosen in the tarbfheis, ‘bull-feast’ or ‘bull-sleep’, in which a bull was killed and a man ate his fill of its flesh, drank its broth, and then lay down to sleep. After an incantation had been chanted over him by four druids, the dreamer would know the new king in his dream. In Scotland a person might answer an important question about the future (no king was to be selected) by wrapping himself in the warm, smoking hide of a newly slain bull in a remote place, such as near a waterfall. Upon going into a trance the person would have the answer. This method was known as taghairm, a term that might also apply to the roasting of cats.

1. a male bovine animal of breeding age, usually over one year of age. Until recent times the use classification for such an animal would be breeding. The present acceptance of bull beef by consumers adds this use to what was previously a limited range of life styles. See also breeder bull.
2. adult male of most wild ruminants except for small deer in which the male is called buck. Includes wapiti, moose, elk, reindeer.
3. adult male cetaceans and pinnipeds.

• b. battery — rarely used term for the total serving capacity of the bulls in a herd. Is the number of bulls multiplied by the length of the breeding season.
• b. beef — from entire males instead of the fatter steer or bullock.
• b. calf — male young entire bovine animal up to stage of yearling.
• catch-up b. — in dairy herds that use artificial insemination (AI), one that is run with cows in mid-lactation to breed those cattle that have not held to AI or that have early embryonic death.
• b.–cow ratio — usually refers to paddock mating of beef cattle and reflects the desire of the farmer to achieve high fertility and over what period the breeding program can be allowed to continue. The proportion of bulls needed will also depend on their age, testicular size and serving capacity.
• b. leader — a pole about 6 ft (2 m) long with a spring clip on the end to snare the bull's nose ring. Enables the handler to keep the bull moving forward without any risk that the bull can come too close.
• proven b. — one whose progeny have achieved the production target set as desirable by the registering breed authority.
• b. rotation — changing the bull out of a group of cows and replacing him with a different bull at short intervals. The objective is to ensure a high mating rate or to mark the calves by using a bull of a different breed.
• b. test station — an establishment run by government or cooperative farmer organization which houses young bulls and measures rate of body weight gain under standard conditions of feeding and housing. A good rate of gain under these conditions does not guarantee a similar performance at pasture.

IN BRIEF: An adult male of some large animals such as a bovine, elephant, moose, or whale.

We watched the bull flick his tail to keep the flies from landing on his back.

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - tyr, handyr
adj. - tyre-, stærk, stor
v. tr. - behandle groft, maltraktere
v. intr. - vrøvle, ævle

idioms:

• a bull in a china shop    en elefant i en porcelænsforretning
• bull market    haussemarked, optimistisk marked
• take the bull by the horns    tage tyren ved hornene

2.
n. - haussist, haussespekulant

3.
n. - vrøvl, sludder

Nederlands (Dutch)
stier, onzin, flauwekul (geschreven/ gesproken), Stier (sterrenbeeld), flater, roos (schietschijf), buldog, speculant (op beurs), mannetje (olifant/walvis etc.), pauselijke bul, krachtpatser, politieagent, op de beurs speculeren, bluffen, met geweld doordringen, groot in zijn soort, als een stier een rode lap voor een stier

Français (French)
1.
n. - taureau, (Astron) le Taureau, mâle (d'un éléphant, d'une baleine, etc), haussier (Bourse), (Mil) fourbissage (arg)
adj. - mâle, qui ressemble à un taureau, à la hausse
v. tr. - spéculer à la hausse, pousser, forcer
v. intr. - spéculer à la hausse, avancer en poussant, se frayer un chemin en poussant

idioms:

• bull market    marché à la hausse, temps des vaches grasses
• like a bull in a china shop    comme un éléphant dans un magasin de porcelaine
• take the bull by the horns    prendre le taureau par les cornes

2.
n. - (Relig) bulle (papale)

3.
n. - bêtise, connerie (fam)

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Stier, Bulle
adj. - bullig, Hausse-
v. - brutal auftreten, auf Hausse spekulieren, Preise in die Höhe treiben

idioms:

• bull market    (econ.) Haussemarkt, Kaufmarkt
• like a bull in a china shop    Elefant im Porzellanladen
• take the bull by the horns    den Stier bei den Hörnern packen

2.
n. - Bulle

3.
n. - Unsinn, (ugs) Geschwafel , grober Schnitzer

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ταύρος, αρσενικό ζώο (ελέφαντας, φώκια), κέντρο στόχου, ανατιμητής, παίκτης χρηματιστηρίου που κερδοσκοπεί στην άνοδο των τιμών, (θρησκ.) βούλα, παπικό διάταγμα, φούμαρα, σαχλαμάρες
v. - ανοίγω (δρόμο) σπρώχνοντας, αγοράζω μετοχές προβλέποντας άνοδο των τιμών
adj. - σαν του ταύρου

idioms:

• a bull in a china shop    ταύρος σε υαλοπωλείο
• bull market    χρηματιστηριακή αγορά με ανοδικές τάσεις
• take the bull by the horns    πιάνω τον ταύρο από τα κέρατα, αντιμετωπίζω αποφασιστικά

Italiano (Italian)
toro, scemenze

idioms:

• a bull in a china shop    un elefante in un negozio di porcellane
• a red rug before a bull    mandare in bestia
• bull market    mercato in rialzo
• take the bull by the horns    prendere il toro per le corna

Português (Portuguese)
n. - touro (m), macho (m) de alguns grandes animais como a baleia e o elefante, especulador (m) da bolsa, carta (f) oficial do Papa
v. - especular na bolsa, empurrar
adj. - macho, forte

idioms:

• a bull in a china shop    como um elefante em uma loja de porcelana (fig.)
• a red rug before a bull    algo capaz de provocar fúria incontrolável em alguém (gír.)
• bull market    mercado (m) no qual os preços estão subindo
• take the bull by the horns    enfrentar problema ou dificuldade

Русский (Russian)
бык, глупость, Телец, постановление римского папы

idioms:

• a bull in a china shop    слон в посудной лавке
• a red rug before a bull    как красная тряпка для быка
• bull market    повышающийся рынок
• take the bull by the horns    взять быка за рога

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - tonterías, bobadas
adj. - absurdo
v. tr. - cubrir, jugar al alza en la bolsa, chapucear
v. intr. - cubrir, jugar al alza en la bolsa, hacer una chapuza

idioms:

• bull market    mercado alcista
• like a bull in a china shop    como un elefante en una cristalería
• take the bull by the horns    coger al toro por los cuernos

2.
n. - toro, macho grande dentro de su género

3.
n. - Tauro, jerarquía EE.UU.

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - tjur, (påve)bulla, snut, nonsens, haussespekulant
v. - försöka pressa upp kursen
adj. - som en tjur

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 公牛, 彪形大汉, 壮汉, 雄兽, 买方, 多头, 强使...通过, 挤出, 吓唬, 哄抬...的价格, 欺骗, 哄抬证券价格, 猛力前进, 上涨, 聊天, 雄的, 公牛般的, 公牛的, 大号的

idioms:

• a bull in a china shop    莽撞闯祸的人
• bull market    行情看涨的市场
• take the bull by the horns    不畏艰险

2. 教皇的诏书, 法令, 公文

3. 自相矛盾的说法, 大错

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 教皇的詔書, 法令, 公文

2.
n. - 自相矛盾的說法, 大錯

3.
n. - 公牛, 彪形大漢, 壯漢, 雄獸, 買方, 多頭
v. tr. - 強使...通過, 擠出, 嚇唬, 哄抬...的價格, 欺騙
v. intr. - 哄抬證券價格, 猛力前進, 上漲, 聊天
adj. - 雄的, 公牛般的, 公牛的, 大號的

idioms:

• a bull in a china shop    莽撞闖禍的人
• bull market    行情看漲的市場
• take the bull by the horns    不畏艱險

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 황소, 강세쪽, 경관
adj. - 수컷의, 강세쪽의, 황소 같은
v. tr. - ~을 자꾸 사들이다, 허풍 떨다, 억지로 밀고 나가다
v. intr. - 자꾸 사들이다, 허풍 떨다, 억지로 밀고 나가다

idioms:

• a bull in a china shop    남을 의식하지 않는 난폭자, 서투른 사람
• take the bull by the horns    용감히 난국에 맞서다

2.
n. - 인새, 교서

3.
n. - 우스운 모순

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 雄牛, 牡牛座, 雄, 象, 金的, 買方, 雄牛のような男, 大勅書, ローマ教皇印, 警官
adj. - 雄の, 買方の, 雄牛のような
v. - 押し進む, 対し乱暴にする, 買いあおる, …にはったりをかける, 大口をたたく

idioms:

• a bull in a china shop    はた迷惑な乱暴物
• bull market    上がり相場
• take the bull by the horns    勇敢に難局に当たる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) ثور, مضارب على صعود الأسهم, مرسوم بابوي (فعل) يضارب على صعود أسعار الأسهم (صفه) ذكر, كبير, خشن كالثور‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮שור, פר, פיל זכר, שטויות, שוטר, מעלה שערי המניות, קפדנות, טרטור (בצבא), מרכז המטרה‬
v. tr. - ‮פעל באלימות, גרם לעליית מחירים‬
v. intr. - ‮פעל באלימות‬
adj. - ‮כמו אצל שור‬
n. - ‮בולה, איגרת-האפיפיור‬
n. - ‮בלבול גדול בהגיון הדיבור או ההתבטאות‬

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red bull	bull horn
bull bear	crystal bull