TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Take the bull by the horns

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/teɪk ðə bʊl baɪ ðə hɔrnz/ Listen

noun

Bull n.

1.

(Zool.) The male of any species of cattle (Bovidae); hence, the male of any large quadruped, as the elephant; also, the male of the whale. Note: The wild bull of the Old Testament is thought to be the oryx, a large species of antelope.

2.

One who, or that which, resembles a bull in character or action.

3.

(Astron.)

(a)

Taurus, the second of the twelve signs of the zodiac.

(b)

A constellation of the zodiac between Aries and Gemini. It contains the Pleiades. "At last from Aries rolls the bounteous sun, And the bright Bull receives him."

4.

(Stock Exchange) One who operates in expectation of a rise in the price of stocks, or in order to effect such a rise. See 4th Bear, n., 5.

5.

A ludicrously false statement; nonsense. Also used as an expletive. (vulgar)

Synonyms: bullshit, Irish bull, horseshit, shit, crap, crapola, bunk, bunkum, buncombe, guff, nonsense, rot, tommyrot, balderdash, hogwash, dogshit.

Bull baiting, the practice of baiting bulls, or rendering them furious, as by setting dogs to attack them.

John Bull, a humorous name for the English, collectively; also, an Englishman. "Good-looking young John Bull."

To take the bull by the horns, to grapple with a difficulty instead of avoiding it.

See images of 'Take the bull by the horns'

Etymology of 'Take the bull by the horns'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Take the bull by the horns" Quotes from Famous Books

... else he hadn't. In the first event, he knew already that Tommy had been trying to deceive him, and that the mythical artist person was none other than myself. If that were so, I felt it was best to take the bull by the horns, and try to find out exactly what part he suspected me of playing. I had at least saved his life, and although we live in an ungrateful world, he seemed bound to be more or less ...

— A Rogue by Compulsion • Victor Bridges

... be as well, I think," said Senhor Silva, "after we have cut down another tree, to take the bull by the horns, and visit these people at once. If we show confidence in them they are less likely to injure us, and, at all events, we can be on our guard against any treachery they may meditate. I know these native tribes well. If we show that we do not fear them and are ...

— In the Wilds of Africa • W.H.G. Kingston

... avoid a long detour to the east, I had chosen to follow the track which passes this place, though travellers generally give it a wide berth; besides, I thought best to take the bull by the horns. When I reached the robber's stronghold, I did not find Don Teodoro at home, though he was expected to return the next day. In the mean time the superintendent showed me around the house and sold me some ...

— Unknown Mexico, Volume 1 (of 2) • Carl Lumholtz

... or rather will be awkward if anyone who knows me turns up. That rascally landlord of ours must have known where Kingston was, but amid all his talk he never told me that. Damme, somebody's got hold of him. Still, you can't take the bull by the horns till his nose is slobbering your waistcoat, so ...

— The Yeoman Adventurer • George W. Gough

... him yield, choose that it be on some unreasonable point, so as to test the measure of your power by the measure of his concession. What victory would there be in making him agree to a reasonable thing? Would that be obeying you? We must always, as the Castilian proverb says, take the bull by the horns; when a bull has once seen the inutility of his defence and of his strength he is beaten. When your husband does a foolish thing for ...

— The Marriage Contract • Honore de Balzac

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