bulldog

[bool-dawg, -dog]

noun

1. one of an English breed of medium-sized, short-haired, muscular dogs with prominent, undershot jaws, usually having a white and tan or brindled coat, raised originally for bullbaiting.

2. Informal.,  a stubbornly persistent person.

3. a short-barreled revolver of large caliber.

4. Metallurgy.,  slag from a puddling furnace.

5. an assistant to the proctor at Oxford and Cambridge universities.

adjective

1. like or characteristic of a bulldog or of a bulldog's jaws.

   bulldog obstinacy.

verb (used with object)

bulldogged, bulldogging 

1. to attack in the manner of a bulldog.

2. Western U.S.,  to throw (a calf, steer, etc.) to the ground by seizing the horns and twisting the head.

bulldog

/ ˈbʊlˌdɒɡ /

noun

1. a sturdy thickset breed of dog with an undershot jaw, short nose, broad head, and a muscular body

2. (at Oxford University) an official who accompanies the proctors on ceremonial occasions

3. commerce a fixed-interest bond issued in Britain by a foreign borrower

Other Word Forms

• bulldoggedness noun
• bulldogger noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bulldog¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; bull ¹ + dog

Example Sentences

“God, it’s been so much fun,” she says as her French bulldog, Banksy, yips at her feet.

From Los Angeles Times

A supervisor who oversaw Lloyd at Internal Affairs — and requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media — described him as smart, meticulous and “a bulldog.”

From Los Angeles Times

Dogs pant to keep themselves cool, but the shorter snouts of certain flat-faced breeds like bulldogs and pugs make this difficult.

From BBC

Park County enlisted bulldog litigators Stuart Liner and Bryan Freedman to prepare a lawsuit targeting Paramount and Skydance over the latter’s heavy involvement.

From Los Angeles Times

Like any pet, bulldogs can turn naughty when bored.

From Los Angeles Times

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