A figure who stands for England in literary and political satire and in cartoons. John Bull is a stout, feisty man, often shown in a suit made out of the British flag.
Note: John Bull is the British equivalent of the United States' symbolUncle Sam.
n. nonsense; bullshit. : Don't give me that bull! I won't buy it.
tv. & in. to lie to or deceive someone. : Stop bulling me!
n. a police officer; a private detective or guard. : Here come the bulls. Get out.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History
John Bull
"Englishman who exemplifies the national character," 1772, from name of a character representing the English nation in Arbuthnot's satire "History of John Bull" (1712).
bull (2)
"papal edict," 1297, from L. bulla "sealed document," originally the word for the seal itself, from bulla "round thing, knob," said to be ult. from Gaulish, from PIE *bul- (cf. Lith. bule "buttocks," M.Du. puyl "bag").
An investor who believes the price of a particular security or security prices in general will follow a broad upward trend. An investor can often be a bull on a specific security but not on the general market, and vice versa. Compare bear.
