bulldog

1 of 3

noun

bull·​dog ˈbu̇l-ˌdȯg 

also ˈbəl-

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

bulldog

2 of 3

adjective

: suggestive of a bulldog

bulldog tenacity

bulldog

3 of 3

verb

bulldogged; bulldogging; bulldogs

transitive verb

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

bulldogger noun

bulldogging noun

Examples of bulldog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

After being found roaming the streets all alone, a bulldog mix with a very unusual name ended up at a local shelter in Fresno, California, and nobody wants to adopt her. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025

Although these features didn’t reach the extremes seen in modern breeds, such as bulldogs, with their smushed face, and borzois, with their ultralong snout, these ancient dogs exhibited fully half the diversity of modern dogs—a lot more than expected. —Kate Wong, Scientific American, 13 Nov. 2025

Adjective

Audi's design language works well when draped over the shared 108.7-inch wheelbase and 62.3-inch front and 61.5-inch rear track widths, resulting in chunky bulldog styling that looks fetching in SUV form. —Dan Edmunds, Car and Driver, 22 Dec. 2022

Verb

Wade Sumpter was the last repeat bulldogging champ in 2012. —Jason McDaniel, Houston Chronicle, 10 Mar. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1518, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1816, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1905, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bulldog

• French bulldog

Rhymes for bulldog

• agog
• backlog
• bullfrog
• eclogue
• eggnog
• groundhog
• hedgehog
• leapfrog
• prolog
• sheepdog
• watchdog
• analog

Kids Definition

bulldog

1 of 3 noun

bull·​dog ˈbu̇l-ˌdȯg 

: any of a breed of stocky short-haired dogs with a broad square head and forelegs set widely apart that was developed in England to fight bulls

bulldog

2 of 3 adjective

: suggestive of a bulldog

bulldog courage

bulldog

3 of 3 verb

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