I. ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
Etymology: bull (I) + dog
1. : a compact muscular short-haired dog of a breed developed in England and used originally in bull baiting but now usually kept as a domestic pet, being noted equally for its vigor and sagacity and for its equable disposition, having the forelegs set widely apart and the lower jaw longer than the upper so that its grip is very powerful against resistance, and being usually white, brindle, or a combination of brindle and white — see boston terrier , french bulldog
2. : a pistol or a revolver ; especially : one of large caliber and short barrel
3. : a proctor's attendant at Oxford and Cambridge
4.
a. : bulldog ant
b. or bulldog fly : horsefly
5. : a refractory material used as a furnace lining that is obtained by calcining mill cinder
6. : any of several devices designed to obtain a firm and steady grip
7. or bulldog pipe : a tobacco pipe with a square shank and squat bowl, the latter having two grooves cut around its widest circumference
8. : bulldog edition
II. adjective
1. : of, relating to, or characteristic of a bulldog
the mechanism of the bulldog jaw
2.
a. : like or suggestive of a bulldog (as in courage or stubbornness)
b. : having a powerful grip
bulldog clips
a bulldog wrench
c. : having an excessively or abnormally undershot jaw
bulldog bats
d. of cattle : affected with a destructive mutation of which such a jaw is a characteristic
III. transitive verb
1. : to behave like a bulldog toward especially in attacking with fierceness and vigor or in proceeding with methodical deliberation
2. West : to throw (a steer) by seizing the horns and twisting the neck