bulldozer

noun bull·doz·er \ -ˌdō-zər \

|Updated on: 18 Aug 2018

Definition of bulldozer

1 : one that bulldozes

2 : a tractor-driven machine usually having a broad horizontal blade for moving earth

See bulldozer defined for English-language learners

See bulldozer defined for kids

Recent Examples of bulldozer from the Web

Four engines, a hotshot crew, a bulldozer, an air-attack aircraft and two helicopters fought the fire, officials said.

— brieanna j frank, azcentral, "Crews stop spread of northern Arizona wildfire," 28 June 2018
In total, the 25 percent tariffs will fall on 1,102 categories of Chinese goods, including nuclear reactors, aircraft engine parts, bulldozers, ball bearings, motorcycles, and industrial and agricultural machinery.

— new york times, BostonGlobe.com, "US and China expand trade war as Beijing vows to match Trump’s tariffs," 16 June 2018
The bulldozers and backhoes that Hernandez would need to uncover his parents are at the bottom of the hill, concentrating on re-opening a highway blocked by a mountain of ash and boulders.

— mark stevenson, Fox News, "At Guatemala volcano, families left on own to keep searching," 8 June 2018
The Portland company makes product design software that customers use to build computer chips, bulldozers, software and - yes, rocket ships.

— mike rogoway, OregonLive.com, "Jama Software imagines 'predictive' technology for product designers," 24 Apr. 2018
On a visit in May, the only noise that could be heard over chirping birds was a bulldozer flattening a piece of adjacent land to build another field for Vrelo Sport.

— james montague, New York Times, "Leading Serbia at World Cup, Nemanja Matic Has One Foot Rooted at Home," 22 June 2018
Glinting in the Caribbean sun behind Father Colón a bulldozer was clearing debris from Punta Santiago’s once-popular, now deserted, beach.

— The Economist, "America has let down its Puerto Rican citizens," 12 Apr. 2018
Last week, bulldozers scraped clean a thickly wooded hillside, leaving behind piles of trees that machines were loudly grinding into mulch.

— john tedesco, San Antonio Express-News, "City halts construction project over endangered species concerns," 3 July 2018
Resources dispatched to the disaster include firefighters on the ground, bulldozers and air tankers.

— thomas leavy, CBS News, "Officials report "zero containment" of 1,500-acre blaze Pawnee Fire in California," 24 June 2018

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

First Known Use of bulldozer

1876

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

BULLDOZER Defined for English Language Learners

bulldozer

noun

Definition of bulldozer for English Language Learners

: a powerful and heavy vehicle that has a large curved piece of metal at its front and that is used for moving dirt and rocks and pushing over trees and other structures