uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle
"The farmer decided to keep only the strongest bull to breed with his herd for the upcoming season."
an investor with an optimistic market outlook; an investor who expects prices to rise and so buys now for resale later
"After hearing the tech sector is about to boom, she decided to go long on stocks by buying shares before anyone else noticed."
the second sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about April 20 to May 20
"Although I was born in March, my friends always joke that I'm a Bull because their astrology app says I'll turn into one next month."
the center of a target
"When aiming at the bull, make sure to focus on that small red circle in the middle of the ring."
a formal proclamation issued by the pope (usually written in antiquated characters and sealed with a leaden bulla)
"The archivist carefully unrolled the ancient parchment to reveal the original papal bull that had authorized the new diocese."
mature male of various mammals of which the female is called `cow'; e.g. whales or elephants or especially cattle
"The farmer checked on his herd to make sure the bull was protecting the young calves from predators."
An adult male of domesticated cattle or oxen.
"After years of rising prices, investors finally burst the real estate bull and realized many properties were overvalued."
A papal bull, an official document or edict from the Pope.
A lie.
A bubble.
In plain English: A bull is a male cow that has not yet been castrated.
"The bull roared loudly before charging at the crowd during the rodeo event."
Usage: Do not confuse the animal with the financial term; in modern slang, a bull refers to an overly optimistic investor who believes prices will rise. This usage is often contrasted with a bear, who expects markets to fall.
try to raise the price of stocks through speculative buying
"Before the market opened, several large investors began a bull run on tech shares to artificially inflate their value before selling at a profit."
speak insincerely or without regard for facts or truths
"The politician was not well prepared for the debate and faked it"
To force oneself (in a particular direction).
"The new manager was accused of bulling his employees out of their bonuses before the year-end audit."
to publish in a Papal bull
To mock; to cheat.
In plain English: To bull someone means to push them hard and aggressively, often forcing them to move out of the way.
"The bull market in the stock exchange caused investors to rush into buying shares."
Usage: Do not use "bull" as a verb in modern English, as it is an archaic term that rarely appears outside of historical texts or specific dialects. Instead, use synonyms like "mock," "cheat," or "lie" to convey the intended meaning of deceiving someone.
Large and strong, like a bull.
"The construction worker was so large and strong that he lifted the heavy beam onto his shoulder without any help from others."
In plain English: Bull means very confident and aggressive, often to the point of being annoying or overconfident.
"The bull market has driven stock prices to record highs again."
Usage: Use "bull" as an adjective to describe something large, powerful, or imposing, often in informal contexts where it modifies nouns like "neck" or "frog." Avoid using it for general strength unless specifically referencing physical bulk similar to the animal.
A surname, from nicknames derived from the name of the animal.
"The local football team's star player is a Bull, though his family has always said he was just named that way because his great-grandfather liked bulls."
The word "bull" comes from a blend of Old English and Old Norse roots that originally meant a male cow. It ultimately traces back to an ancient Indo-European root related to blowing or swelling up.