German

Noun

Bulle m ‎(genitive Bullen, plural Bullen)

1. bull (male cattle)
2. (figuratively) bull (strong or stout man)
3. cop (police man)

Usage notes

• Though generally interchangeable with Stier, only Bulle is commonly used in agricultural contexts in northern and central Germany. The word is less frequent in the South.

Declension

Synonyms

• Stier

Derived terms

• bullig

Etymology 2

Documented since the 19th century. Probably from Polizist (or an abbreviation thereof), whose first syllable may in some dialects have become homophonous to Bulle (“bull”). — Another possibility is a derivation from Puller or Landpuller, a non-derogatory term for a policeman of the 18th century.

Noun

Bulle m ‎(genitive Bullen, plural Bullen)

1. (mildly pejorative) police officer, cop, pig

Usage notes

• The word is only mildly pejorative in colloquial speech, it is nevertheless punishable in Germany to use it towards or in reference to a police officer on duty.

Declension

Derived terms

• Bullenschwein
• Bullette (female form; humorous)

Etymology 3

From Latin bulla "seal capsule", originally meaning "ball, bullet".

Noun

Bulle f ‎(genitive Bulle, plural Bullen)

1. Bull (papal decree).

Declension

Saterland Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian *bula, from Proto-Germanic *bulô. More at bull.

Noun

Bulle m

1. (zoology) bull; steer

French

Noun

bulle f ‎(plural bulles)

1. bubble

Derived terms

• tirer la bulle

Verb

bulle

1. first-person singular present indicative of buller
2. third-person singular present indicative of buller
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of buller
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of buller
5. second-person singular imperative of buller

Middle French

Etymology

Latin bulla.

Noun

bulle f (plural bulles)

1. (Ancient Rome) bulla (amulet)
2. seal; bull (stamp in wax of authentification)
3. a letter sealed with a bull

Derived terms

• bullette

Descendants

• French: bulle

References

• bulle on Dictionnaire du Moyen Français (1330-1500) (in French)

Northern Sami

Verb

bulle

1. inflection of buollit:
   1. first-person dual present indicative
   2. third-person plural past indicative

Old French

Alternative forms

• boille
• boule
• boulle
• burle

Etymology

Latin bulla.

Noun

bulle f ‎(oblique plural bulles, nominative singular bulle, nominative plural bulles)

1. seal (a stamp in wax to seal a letter)
2. a letter sealed with a bull (seal)

Descendants

• English: bull (borrowed, "seal, papal bull")
• French: bulle

References

• (fr) Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (bulle, supplement)
• bulle on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

Spanish

Verb

bulle

1. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of bullir.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present indicative form of bullir.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present indicative form of bullir.

Swedish

Noun

bulle c

1. a bun; a small bread roll
2. (slang) a taxi, a cab

Declension

Derived terms

• bullbak
• bullfest
• bullig
• bullighet
• bullängd
• kanelbulle
• krämbulle
• köttbulle
• rågbulle
• vetebulle

References

• bulle in Svenska Akademiens Ordlista över svenska språket (13th ed., online)