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the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.
the male of certain other animals, as the elephant and moose.
a large, solidly built person.
a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will increase (opposed to bear).
(initial capital letter) Astronomy, Astrology. the constellation or sign of Taurus.
a bulldog.
Slang. a police officer.
male.
of, relating to, or resembling a bull, as in strength.
having to do with or marked by a continuous trend of rising prices, as of stocks:
a bull market.
Stock Exchange. to attempt to raise the price of.
to speculate in, in expectation of a rise in price.
to force; shove:
to bull one’s way through a crowd.
Nautical. to ram (a buoy).
bull in a china shop,

an awkward or clumsy person.
an inconsiderate or tactless person.
a troublemaker; dangerous person.

take the bull by the horns, to attack a difficult or risky problem fearlessly.
a bulla or seal.
Roman Catholic Church. a formal papal document having a bulla attached.
exaggerations; lies; nonsense.
shoot the bull, to talk aimlessly:
We just sat around shooting the bull.
John, John Bull.
Ole (Bornemann)
[oh-luh bor-nuh-mahn] /ˈoʊ lə ˈbɒr nəˌmɑn/ (Show IPA), 1810–80, Norwegian violinist and composer.
bulletin.
William Frederick (“Bull”) 1882–1959, U.S. admiral.
Contemporary Examples

‘People’ Magazine’s Sexiest White Man Alive: Channing Tatum Tricia Romano November 14, 2012
Feds Hope to Use Former Underling to Land Hedge-Fund Trader Steven Cohen Michael Daly November 26, 2012
Welcome to the Anarchy Economy Daniel Gross April 22, 2013
Horoscopes: The Week of March 27 Starsky + Cox March 25, 2011
New Year’s Reading List: Books to Transform Your Sad Life David Masciotra December 31, 2013

Historical Examples

The Cruise of the Snark Jack London
Days Off Henry Van Dyke
An Introduction to Mythology Lewis Spence
The Common Law Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
On Guard Upton Sinclair

noun
any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually mature related adjective taurine
the uncastrated adult male of any breed of domestic cattle
the male of various other animals including the elephant and whale
a very large, strong, or aggressive person
(stock exchange)

a speculator who buys in anticipation of rising prices in order to make a profit on resale
(as modifier): a bull market Compare bear1 (sense 5)

(mainly Brit) short for bull’s-eye (sense 1), bull’s-eye (sense 2)
(slang) short for bullshit
short for bulldog, bull terrier
a bull in a china shop, a clumsy person
(US & Canadian, slang) shoot the bull

to pass time talking lightly
to boast or exaggerate

take the bull by the horns, to face and tackle a difficulty without shirking
adjective
male; masculine: a bull elephant
large; strong
verb
(transitive) to raise or attempt to raise the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative buying
(intransitive) (of a cow) to be on heat
(intransitive) (US, slang) to talk lightly or foolishly
noun
a ludicrously self-contradictory or inconsistent statement Also called Irish bull
noun
a formal document issued by the pope, written in antiquated characters and often sealed with a leaden bulla
noun
the Bull, the constellation Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac
noun
John. 1563–1628, English composer and organist
See John Bull
n.

Sais christ to ypocrites … yee ar … all ful with wickednes, tresun and bull. [“Cursor Mundi,” early 14c.]

There also was a verb bull meaning “to mock, cheat,” which dates from 1530s.
v.

A peace officer of any kind, esp a uniformed police officer •London police constables were called bull-dogs by 1710 (1850s+)
An elephant, of either sex (1920s+ Circus)
An ace • Short for bullet (1940s+ Poker)
Bull Durham2 ,a very popular brand of tobacco for rolling cigarettes (1930s+)
A locomotive (1880s+ Railroad)
The chief; head man; boss, bull of the woods (1940s+ Loggers & cowboys)
A dealer who favors higher prices and quicker selling (1700s+ Stock market)
bullshit (1900+)

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bull in a china shop
bull session