BULLIER

Etymology

Adjective

bullier

comparative form of bully

Noun

bullier (plural bulliers)

(often, with of) One who bullies.

Usage notes

Bully is much more common and often preferred.

Bullier is used in coordination or contrast with other words ending in "er" and with bullied.

Bullier is used with of or a possessive to identify or characterize the bully by the identity of the target. Bully is not usually used in this way.

Source: Wiktionary


BULLY

Bul"ly, n.; pl. Bullies (. Etym: [Cf. LG. bullerjaan, bullerbäk, bullerbrook, a blusterer, D. bulderaar a bluster, bulderen to bluster; prob. of imitative origin; or cf. MHG. buole lover, G. buhle.]

1. A noisy, blustering fellow, more insolent than courageous; one who is threatening and quarrelsome; an insolent, tyrannical fellow. Bullies seldom execute the threats they deal in. Palmerston.

2. A brisk, dashing fellow. [Slang Obs.] Shak.

Bul"ly, a.

1. Jovial and blustering; dashing. [Slang] "Bless thee, bully doctor." Shak.

2. Fine; excellent; as, a bully horse. [Slang, U.S.]

Bul"ly, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bullied; p. pr. & vb. n. Bullying.]

Definition: To intimidate with threats and by an overbearing, swaggering demeanor; to act the part of a bully toward. For the last fortnight there have been prodigious shoals of volunteers gone over to bully the French, upon hearing the peace was just signing. Tatler.

Syn.

– To bluster; swagger; hector; domineer.

Bul"ly, v. i.

Definition: To act as a bully.

Bul"ly, n., Bul"ly beef`. [F. bouilli boiled meat, fr. bouillir to boil. See Boil, v. The word bouilli was formerly commonly used on the labels of canned beef.]

Definition: Pickled or canned beef.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

31 March 2025

IMPROVISED

(adjective) done or made using whatever is available; “crossed the river on improvised bridges”; “the survivors used jury-rigged fishing gear”; “the rock served as a makeshift hammer”


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Coffee Trivia

The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.

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