<B>bull-roarer, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a long, thin strip of wood with a cord or thong at one end, by which it is whirled rapidly to make a roaring sound in certain primitive religious rites. </DL>
<A NAME="bullrush">
<B>bullrush, </B>noun. <B>=bulrush.</B></DL>
<A NAME="bullsession">
<B>bull session,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Informal.) <DD><B> a. </B>a frank, informal discussion about any interesting topic. <DD><B> b. </B>any rambling discussion. <DD><B> 2. </B>(British Slang.) a period of intense cleaning, polishing, or routine tasks, especially in military use. </DL>
<A NAME="bullseye">
<B>bull's-eye</B> or <B>bullseye, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the center of a target. <BR> <I>Ex. The bull's-eye was marked with a large red circle.</I> <DD><B> 2a. </B>a shot that hits it. <BR> <I>Ex. The archer's shot was a perfect bull's-eye.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>any act or remark that successfully hits an actual or figurative target. <BR> <I>Ex. He scored a bull's-eye in their argument with that witty retort.</I> <DD><B> 3a. </B>a thick piece of dome-shaped glass fixed in the deck or side of a ship to let in light. <DD><B> b. </B>(Architecture.) any circular opening for light or air. <DD><B> 4a. </B>a lens shaped like a half-sphere to concentrate light. <DD><B> b. </B>a small lantern with such a lens in its side. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Especially British.) a kind of candy made in round, hard lumps. <DD><B> 6. </B>(Nautical.) an oval or circular wooden block having a groove around it and a hole in the center through which to reeve a rope. </DL>
<A NAME="bullshot">
<B>bullshot, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) an alcoholic drink made with vodka or gin and bouillon. </DL>
<A NAME="bullsnake">
<B>bull snake,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various North American snakes that live on rodents. All are harmless to man. </DL>
<A NAME="bullterrier">
<B>bull terrier,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a strong, active, short-haired dog, white or brindle marked with white, developed from a cross between a bulldog and a terrier. </DL>
<A NAME="bullthistle">
<B>bull thistle,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the common thistle. </DL>
<A NAME="bulltongue">
<B>bull tongue,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) a simple form of plow. </DL>
<A NAME="bulltongue">
<B>bull-tongue, </B>transitive verb. <B>-tongued,</B> <B>-tonguing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) to plow with a bull tongue. </DL>
<A NAME="bulltrout">
<B>bull trout,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B><B>=salmon trout.</B> <DD><B> 2. </B>the Dolly Varden trout of the Pacific coast. </DL>
<A NAME="bullwhack">
<B>bullwhack, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Western U.S.) <DD><I>noun </I> a whip with a long, heavy lash and a short handle. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to drive (a team of oxen or other draft animals) with a bullwhack or other whip. </DL>
<A NAME="bullwhacker">
<B>bullwhacker, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Western U.S.) <DD><B> 1. </B>the driver of a wagon drawn by a team of oxen or other draft animals. <DD><B> 2. </B>a bullwhack. </DL>
<A NAME="bullwhip">
<B>bullwhip, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a long, heavy leather whip like those formerly used by drivers of oxen. </DL>
<A NAME="bully">
<B>bully</B> (1), noun, pl. <B>-lies,</B> verb, <B>-lied,</B> <B>-lying,</B> adjective, interjection.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a person who teases, frightens, threatens, or hurts others who are not as strong as he is. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Archaic.) a hired ruffian; bravo; bullyboy. <DD><B> 3. </B>(British Dialect.) mate; companion. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Obsolete.) a good friend; fine fellow. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Obsolete.) a sweetheart. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to frighten (into doing something) by noisy talk or threats. <BR> <I>Ex. The older boys bullied him into giving away his candy.</I> (SYN) overawe, intimidate. <DD><B> 2. </B>to be a bully toward. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to be a bully; be overbearing. (SYN) bluster. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>(Informal.) very good; excellent. <DD><B> 2. </B>jovial; gallant; spirited. <DD><B> 3. </B>like a bully or ruffian. <DD><I>interj. </I> (Informal.) bravo! well done!. <BR> <I>Ex. Bully for you!</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bully">
<B>bully</B> (2), noun. <B>=bully beef.</B></DL>
<A NAME="bully">
<B>bully</B> (3), noun, pl. <B>-lies,</B> verb, <B>-lied,</B> <B>-lying.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Field Hockey.) <DD><I>noun </I> <B>=bully-off.</B> <DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> to cross sticks three times and hit (the ball). </DL>
<A NAME="bullybeef">
<B>bully beef,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> canned or pickled beef. </DL>
<A NAME="bullyboy">
<B>bullyboy, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person hired to gain ends by violence or the threat of violence; thug. </DL>
<A NAME="bullyoff">
<B>bully-off, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Field Hockey.) <DD><B> 1. </B>the start of play. <DD><B> 2. </B>the crossing of sticks before the ball is played. </DL>
<B>bully tree,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various West Indian and tropical American trees of the sapodilla family, especially the species from which the gum balata is obtained. </DL>
<A NAME="bulrush">
<B>bulrush, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a tall, slender plant that grows in wet places, used in making mats, bottoms of chairs, and the like. The bulrush belongs to the sedge family. <DD><B> 2. </B>(British.) the cattail. <DD><B> 3. </B>(U.S.) any one of several rushes, especially the common rush. <DD><B> 4. </B>the papyrus of Egypt (in the Bible, Exodus 2:3). Also, <B>bullrush.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="bultow">
<B>bultow, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a trawl line. </DL>
<A NAME="bulwark">
<B>bulwark, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a person, thing, or idea that is a defense or a protection. <BR> <I>Ex. A free press and free speech are bulwarks of democracy.</I> (SYN) safeguard, support. <DD><B> 2. </B>a wall of earth or other material for defense against an enemy; rampart. <BR> <I>Ex. The city was protected by a bulwark and a moat surrounding it.</I> <DD><B> 3a. </B>a breakwater for protection against the force of the waves. <DD><B> b. </B>an embankment. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to defend; protect; shelter. <BR> <I>Ex. Friends bulwarked him about from infancy to boyhood (Robert Browning).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to provide with a bulwark or bulwarks. <BR><I>expr. <B>bulwarks,</B> </I>the side of a ship extending like a fence above the deck. </DL>
<A NAME="bum">
<B>bum</B> (1), noun, verb, <B>bummed,</B> <B>bumming,</B> adjective, <B>bummer,</B> <B>bummest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>an idle or good-for-nothing person; loafer. <DD><B> 2. </B>a tramp; hobo. <DD><B> 3. </B>a person who is extremely devoted to a sport, sometimes to the point of seeming to do nothing else but participate in it or follow it. <BR> <I>Ex. a tennis bum, a surf bum, a track bum.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>a drunken spree. <BR> <I>Ex. to go on a bum.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>a drunken loafer. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to get (food, money, or anything else) by sponging on others; beg. <BR> <I>Ex. He tried to bum a ride.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to loaf around; idle about. <BR> <I>Ex. playing pool and bumming with the boys (O. Henry).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to sponge on others; beg. <DD><B> 3. </B>to drink heavily. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of poor quality; worthless. <BR> <I>Ex. Every bum novel begins that way (Robert W. Chambers).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>sore or lame. <BR> <I>Ex. a bum knee.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>false; mistaken. <BR> <I>Ex. The information he got was a bum steer. The prisoner claimed that he got a bum rap from the court.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bum">
<B>bum</B> (someone) <B>out,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Slang.) to disgust, annoy, or vex. <BR> <I>Ex. Most of the bands they get in here are so bad they really bum me out, but these are good (Atlantic Monthly).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>on the bum,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>not functioning; out of order. </I> <I>Ex. Our old toaster is on the bum.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>living as a bum. <BR> <I>Ex. He spent two years on the bum.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bum">
<B>bum</B> (2), verb, <B>bummed,</B> <B>bumming,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Chiefly Dialect.) <DD><I>v.i. </I> to make a humming sound; hum; buzz. <DD><I>noun </I> a humming noise. </DL>
<A NAME="bum">
<B>bum</B> (3), noun. <B>=buttocks.</B></DL>
<A NAME="bumbershoot">
<B>bumbershoot, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (used humorously) an umbrella. </DL>
<A NAME="bumble">
<B>bumble, </B>noun, verb, <B>-bled,</B> <B>-bling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> an awkward mistake. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to act or proceed in a bungling, awkward manner. <BR> <I>Ex. [He] bumbles along, a monumental misfit who spends much of his time begging everyone's pardon (Newsweek).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to commit a bumble or bumbles. <BR> <I>Ex. He bumbled, contradicted himself and flubbed questions that were thrown at him (Time).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to do (something) in an awkward, foolish way; bungle; botch. <BR> <I>Ex. to bumble a job.</I> noun <B>bumbler.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="bumblebee">
<B>bumblebee, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a large bee with a thick, hairy body, usually banded with gold; humblebee. Bumblebees make a loud buzzing sound. They live in small colonies often in underground nests or old logs, where they raise their young and store honey. </DL>
<A NAME="bumbledom">
<B>bumbledom, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> arrogant and incompetent officials, as a group. </DL>
<A NAME="bumblepuppy">
<B>bumble-puppy, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the game of whist played unscientifically. <DD><B> 2. </B>a game in which a ball slung to a post is struck in opposite directions by two players. </DL>
<A NAME="bumbling">
<B>bumbling, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>marked by or subject to blundering and awkward ways, inept. <BR> <I>Ex. The bumbling old porter dropped the luggage.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>filled with self-importance; officious. adv. <B>bumblingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="bumboat">
<B>bumboat, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a boat used in peddling small merchandise, fresh fruit, and other provisions to ships in port or lying offshore. </DL>
<A NAME="bumelia">
<B>bumelia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a tree or shrub with a milky juice, a spiny stem, and small white or greenish flowers, native to the West Indies. </DL>
<A NAME="bumf">
<B>bumf, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British Slang.) <DD><B> 1. </B>toilet paper. <DD><B> 2. </B>worthless paper; trash. <BR> <I>Ex. His office pigeonhole has to swallow an enormous volume of bumf (Punch).</I> <DD> Also, <B>bumph.</B> </DL>
