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Take the bull by the horns   /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.






Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48








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



... are keeping some things secret, Tom," said Ned, determined "to take the bull by the horns," as ...
— Tom Swift and his War Tank - or, Doing his Bit for Uncle Sam • Victor Appleton

... treading on dangerous ground; but as we really were worn out, and there seemed no chance of escape, I thought it best to take the bull by the horns. At the worst we should only be handed over to the enemy ...
— At the Point of the Sword • Herbert Hayens

... Constitution must be stretched, transcended, and most liberally interlined, in a fashion which would furnish annoying arguments to the disaffected. The President looked over the situation, and decided, in the proverbial phrase, to take the bull by the horns; that which clearly ought to be done he would do, law or no law, doubt or no doubt. He would have faith that the people would sustain him; and that the courts and the lawyers, among whose functions it is to ...
— Abraham Lincoln, Vol. I. • John T. Morse



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