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bull mastiff

(Encyclopedia)bull mastiff măstˈĭf [key], breed of powerful working dog developed in England in the second half of the 19th cent. It stands from 24 to 27 in. (61–68.6 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 1...

bull nettle

(Encyclopedia)bull nettle: see nightshade.

bull-roarer

(Encyclopedia)bull-roarer, an instrument consisting of slit board or chamber attached to a cord. When swung around in the air, it emits a deep, vibrant, “whirrrrrr”-like sound. The mythology of some Native Sout...

Bull Run

(Encyclopedia)Bull Run, small stream, NE Va., c.30 mi (50 km) SW of Washington, D.C. Two important battles of the Civil War were fought there: the first on July 21, 1861, and the second Aug. 29–30, 1862. Both bat...

bull terrier

(Encyclopedia)bull terrier, breed of large, muscular terrier originating in England around 1835. It stands from 19 to 22 in. (48.3–55.9 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 30 to 36 lb (13.6–16.3 kg). Its s...

miniature bull terrier

(Encyclopedia)miniature bull terrier, breed of small, muscular dog developed in England in the early 19th cent. It stands up to 14 in. (35.6 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs about 17 lb (7.7 kg). Its short, flat...

Bull, Ole Bornemann

(Encyclopedia)Bull, Ole Bornemann bo͞ol [key], 1810–80, Norwegian violinist. After his debut in Paris (1832) he toured in Europe and in the United States, playing mainly his own compositions and Norwegian folk ...

bull, papal letter

(Encyclopedia)bull [Lat. bulla=leaden seal], papal letter. As the diplomatic organization of the papal chancery progressed in the Middle Ages, the papal bull came to be more solemn than the papal brief or encyclica...