Origin: 1875–80, Americanism; origin uncertain; the notion that it represents a v. use of bull dose, i.e., a dose fit for a bull, is probably specious; defs. 1, 2, 4, 5 are back formations from bulldozer tractor
1876, originally a noun, bulldose "a severe beating or lashing," lit. "a dose fit for a bull," a slang word referring to the intimidation beating of black voters (by either blacks or whites) in the chaotic 1876 U.S. presidential election. As a verb, by 1880.
tv. to apply pressure or force to get someone to do something. : You think you can bulldoze people into doing what you want!
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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