bully

Meanings

Noun

• A person who is intentionally physically or emotionally cruel to others, especially to those whom they perceive as being vulnerable or of less power or privilege.
• A noisy, blustering, tyrannical person, more insolent than courageous; one who is threatening and quarrelsome.
• A hired thug.
• A sex worker’s minder.
• Bully beef.
• A brisk, dashing fellow.
• The small scrum in the Eton College field game.
• Various small freshwater or brackishwater fish of the family Eleotridae (family); sleeper goby. File:Common bully, Gobiomorphus cotidianus.jpg|thumb|The [[common bully, Gobiomorphus cotidianus (species)]]
• An (eldest) brother; a fellow workman; comrade
• A companion; mate .
• A darling, sweetheart .
• A standoff between two players from the opposing teams, who repeatedly hit each other's hockey sticks and then attempt to acquire the ball, as a method of resuming the game in certain circumstances. Also called bully-off.
• A miner's hammer.

Verb

• To intimidate (someone) as a bully.
• To act aggressively towards.

Adjective

• Very good.
• Jovial and blustering.

Interjection

• Well done!

Origin

• From 1530, as a term of endearment, probably a diminutive (-y) of Dutch boel ("lover; brother"), from Middle Dutch boel, boele, from Old Dutch *buolo, from Proto-Germanic *bōlô (compare Middle Low German bôle ("brother"), Middle High German buole ("brother; close relative; close relation") (whence Buhle), Old English Bōla, Bōlla, diminutive of expressive *bō-. Compare also Latvian bālinš ("brother"). More at boy.
• The term acquired negative senses during the 17th century; first ‘noisy, blustering fellow’ then ‘a person who is cruel to others’. Possibly influenced by bull or via the ‘prostitute's minder’ sense. The positive senses are dated, but survive in phrases such as bully pulpit.