noun

bull

buul

noun

An adult male of cattle, or of certain other large animals such as elephants and whales.

"The farmer kept a prize bull separate from the herd."

Nonsense; empty or dishonest talk (informal).

"Don't give me that bull — just tell me what really happened."

An official document or edict issued by the Pope.

"The papal bull was read aloud in cathedrals across Europe."

adj

Describing a market where prices are rising or expected to rise.

"Investors were optimistic during the bull market of the late 1990s."

How to Use Bull

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA male cattle animal; also used for a rising financial market, or informally for nonsense.

Common mistake

Don't confuse the financial "bull market" with a "bear market" (falling prices) — they're opposites.

Easily confused with

bear →

Common pairings

bull market a load of bull papal bull

bulled past tense, bulled past tense, bulled past tense, bulls plural, bulls plural, bulls singular, bulls singular, bulls singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The farmer kept a prize _____ separate from the herd.

From Old English bula and Old Norse boli, both meaning "bull," from a Germanic root related to swelling or blowing up — describing the animal's bulk.

gull dull pull full null cull lull mull hull skull scull seagull