bulldog

play

noun bull·dog \ ˈbu̇l-ˌdȯg also ˈbəl- \

Definition of bulldog

1 :any of a breed of compact muscular short-haired dogs having widely separated forelegs and an undershot lower jaw that were developed in England to fight bulls

2 :a handgun with a thick usually short barrel

3 :a proctor's attendant at an English university

See bulldog defined for English-language learners

See bulldog defined for kids

Recent Examples of bulldog from the Web

A procedure combining surgery with stem cell treatment has aided two bulldog puppies with spina bifida and a team of UC Davis researchers hopes to test the therapy in human clinical trials.

— cathy locke, sacbee, "Puppies receive stem cell treatment developed to help children with spina bifida," 24 Aug. 2017
David and María Maceo from Tampa, Florida, recently treated their six-year-old French bulldog, Hennessy, to the ultimate pet bedroom, according to The Huffington Post.

— katina beniaris, Country Living, "This Man Built His Dog the Coziest Bedroom Under the Stairs," 23 Aug. 2017
When the call about the distressed puppies in Garfield came in, the news crew also covered the story about the bulldogs.

— USA TODAY, "Crates full of puppies found in hot van at New Jersey Walmart," 20 Aug. 2017
Neighborhood resident Mitchel Fujiwara attended with Benny, his American bulldog.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Havre de Grace residents praise their police during National Night Out," 2 Aug. 2017
American bullies are typically pit bulls that have been cross bred with English bulldogs and or French bulldogs to accentuate the breed's compact, muscular frame and short legs, said Robin Beaulieu, director of the Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter.

— bob warren, NOLA.com, "Trapper describes being in gator's chomping jaws: report," 15 July 2017
Zurbruegg says he can often be found perched at the end of Gunther’s outdoor bar, with his English bulldog in tow.

— kit waskom pollard, baltimoresun.com, "Hot spots: Restaurants create elaborate outdoor seating," 3 July 2017
The 6-foot-3 defensive bulldog can play either guard position, but must improve offensively.

— kareem copeland, The Seattle Times, "Jazz point guard scenario to influence Hayward decision," 29 June 2017
Again, from Hertsgaard's book, no less a bulldog than the late Ben Bradlee admits that the press didn't want to be seen as bringing down another president so soon after Watergate.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Conservatives Are Now Defending Trump, Inc., Because Why Not?," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bulldog.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of bulldog

circa 1518

bulldog

adjective

Definition of bulldog

:suggestive of a bulldog

bulldog tenacity

Recent Examples of bulldog from the Web

Bulldog pitchers also hit two Tiger batters for a grand total of 13 free passes.

— andrew lopez, NOLA.com, "Patience at the plate pushes LSU to SEC West championship," 20 May 2017
Bulldog boys and girls will host Classical Academy Thursday with the seniors being honored prior to the competition.

— joe naiman, Ramona Sentinel, "Prep Swimming: Bulldog boys score decisive league win," 26 Apr. 2017

First Known Use of bulldog

1816

bulldog

verb

Definition of bulldog

transitive verb

:to throw (a steer) by seizing the horns and twisting the neck

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bulldogger

noun

—

bulldogging

noun

First Known Use of bulldog

1905

BULLDOG Defined for English Language Learners

bulldog

play

noun

Definition of bulldog for English Language Learners

: a short, strong, muscular dog with short hair, short legs, and a wide square head

BULLDOG Defined for Kids

bulldog

play

noun bull·dog \ ˈbu̇l-ˌdȯg \

Definition of bulldog for Students

:a dog of English origin with short hair and a stocky powerful build

Learn More about bulldog

See words that rhyme with bulldog Spanish Central: Translation of bulldog Nglish: Translation of bulldog for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bulldog

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bulldog

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First Known Use of bulldog

bulldog

Definition of bulldog

Recent Examples of bulldog from the Web

First Known Use of bulldog

bulldog

Definition of bulldog

bulldogger

bulldogging

First Known Use of bulldog

BULLDOG Defined for English Language Learners

bulldog

Definition of bulldog for English Language Learners

BULLDOG Defined for Kids

bulldog

Definition of bulldog for Students

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