bulb /bʌ lb/ (bulbs )
1 N‑COUNT A bulb is the glass part of an electric lamp, which gives out light when electricity passes through it. □ The stairwell was lit by a single bulb.
2 N‑COUNT A bulb is a root shaped like an onion that grows into a flower or plant. □ …tulip bulbs.
bulb|ous /bʌ lbəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is bulbous is round and fat in a rather ugly way. □ …his bulbous purple nose.
Bul|gar|ian /bʌlgeə riən/ (Bulgarians )
1 ADJ Bulgarian means belonging or relating to Bulgaria, or to its people, language, or culture.
2 N‑COUNT A Bulgarian is a person who comes from Bulgaria.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Bulgarian is the main language spoken by people who live in Bulgaria.
bulge /bʌ ldʒ/ (bulges , bulging , bulged )
1 VERB If something such as a person's stomach bulges , it sticks out. □ [V ] Jiro waddled closer, his belly bulging and distended. □ [V adv/prep] He bulges out of his black T-shirt. □ [V -ing] He is 6ft 3ins with bulging muscles.
2 VERB If someone's eyes or veins are bulging , they seem to stick out a lot, often because the person is making a strong physical effort or is experiencing a strong emotion. □ [V ] He shouted at his brother, his neck veins bulging. □ [V -ing] …bulging eyes.
3 VERB [oft cont] If you say that something is bulging with things, you are emphasizing that it is full of them. [EMPHASIS ] □ [V + with ] They returned home with the car bulging with boxes. □ [V -ing] …a bulging briefcase. [Also V ]
4 N‑COUNT Bulges are lumps that stick out from a surface which is otherwise flat or smooth. □ Why won't those bulges on your hips and thighs go?
5 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If there is a bulge in something, there is a sudden large increase in it. □ [+ in ] …a bulge in aircraft sales. [Also + of ]
bu|limia /buːl I miə/ N‑UNCOUNT Bulimia or bulimia nervosa is an illness in which a person has a very great fear of becoming fat, and so they make themselves vomit after eating.
bu|limic /buːl I m I k/ (bulimics ) ADJ If someone is bulimic , they are suffering from bulimia. □ …bulimic patients. □ I was anorexic and bulimic. ● N‑COUNT A bulimic is someone who is bulimic. □ …a former bulimic.
bulk /bʌ lk/
1 N‑SING You can refer to something's bulk when you want to emphasize that it is very large. [WRITTEN , EMPHASIS ] □ [+ of ] …the shadowy bulk of an ancient barn.
2 N‑SING [usu poss N ] You can refer to a large person's body or to their weight or size as their bulk . □ Bannol lowered his bulk carefully into the chair. □ Despite his bulk, he moved lightly on his feet.
3 QUANT The bulk of something is most of it. □ [+ of ] The bulk of the text is essentially a review of these original documents. □ [+ of ] The vast bulk of imports and exports are carried by sea. ● PRON Bulk is also a pronoun. □ They come from all over the world, though the bulk is from the Indian subcontinent.
4 N‑UNCOUNT [in N , N n] If you buy or sell something in bulk , you buy or sell it in large quantities. □ Buying in bulk is more economical than shopping for small quantities. □ …bulk purchasing.
▸ bulk up or bulk out PHRASAL VERB If someone or something bulks up or bulks out , they become bigger or heavier. □ [V P n] Use extra vegetables to bulk up the omelette. □ [V P ] Holyfield had bulked up to 210 pounds using weights. [Also V n P ]
bulk|head /bʌ lkhed/ (bulkheads ) N‑COUNT A bulkhead is a wall which divides the inside of a ship or aeroplane into separate sections. [TECHNICAL ]
bulky /bʌ lki/ (bulkier , bulkiest ) ADJ Something that is bulky is large and heavy. Bulky things are often difficult to move or deal with. □ …bulky items like lawn mowers.
bull /bʊ l/ (bulls )
1 N‑COUNT A bull is a male animal of the cow family.
2 N‑COUNT Some other male animals, including elephants and whales, are called bulls . □ …a massive bull elephant with huge tusks.
3 N‑COUNT On the stock market, bulls are people who buy shares in expectation of a price rise, in order to make a profit by selling the shares again after a short time. Compare bear . [BUSINESS ]
4 N‑UNCOUNT If you say that something is bull or a load of bull , you mean that it is complete nonsense or absolutely untrue. [INFORMAL ] □ I think it's a load of bull.
5 → see also cock-and-bull story , pit bull terrier
6 PHRASE If you take the bull by the horns , you do something that you feel you ought to do even though it is difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant. □ Now is the time for the Chancellor to take the bull by the horns and announce a two per cent cut in interest rates.
7 like a red rag to a bull → see rag
bu ll bar (bull bars ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] On some motor vehicles, bull bars are metal bars fixed to the front that are designed to protect it if it crashes.
bull|dog /bʊ ldɒg, [AM ] -dɔːg/ (bulldogs ) N‑COUNT A bulldog is a small dog with a large square head and short hair.
bu ll|dog clip (bulldog clips ) N‑COUNT A bulldog clip is a metal clip with a spring lever that opens and closes two flat pieces of metal. It is used for holding papers together. [BRIT ]