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Glite Dictionary
🔗 A lead seal 🫧 A large blister
bulla

bulla

9.9
A round lead seal attached to an official letter from the pope to show it is real
  • noun
  • /ˈbʊlə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bula
  • The bulla on the papal bull confirmed its authenticity.

Examples

  • The museum displayed several medieval bullae alongside the original papal decrees.

  • The bulla was still affixed to the ancient papal document, proving its authenticity.

  • Scholars studied the inscription on the lead bulla to trace the document's origin.

  • A bulla was found attached to the ancient document.

  • The Pope's official document was marked with a bulla to verify its authenticity.

  • Scholars were excited to discover an ancient bulla that belonged to a past pontiff.

  • Each bulla contained a unique insignia, indicating the authority of the issuing pope.

Synonyms

seal
vsbulla
  • Formal
106 4.2

An official mark that shows a document is real

is a specific round lead object used on papal documents for authenticity

Surface Forms

bulla singular
bullae plural

Etymology

Bulla comes from a Latin word bulla meaning 'bubble' or 'round blob', and it is the same root as the English word bubble. Long ago people attached a round drop of lead to a papal document as proof, so a papal bulla is the round lead seal that shows the document is real.