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Glite Dictionary
Boston bull

Boston bull

8.1
A small American dog with a short smooth dark coat, white patches, and a flat face
  • noun
  • /ˈbɔstən bʌl/
translation icon : bull terrier de Boston
  • The Boston bull is known for its affectionate and lively personality.

Examples

  • We adopted a Boston bull puppy from the animal shelter last year.

  • Her Boston bull greeted everyone at the door with an energetic bark.

  • The Boston bull is a friendly dog.

  • Many Boston bulls have a playful nature.

  • We adopted a Boston bull puppy from the animal shelter last year.

  • The Boston bull is known for its affectionate and lively personality.

  • Her Boston bull greeted everyone at the door with an energetic bark.

Synonyms

Boston terrier
vsBoston bull
1 3.5

A small friendly dog with a short black and white coat and a flat face

has identical meaning but is a less common alternative name

Surface Forms

Boston bull singular
Boston bulls plural

Morphology

Boston + bull

Although 'Boston' signals a place of origin, the word 'bull' denotes a male bovine and has no semantic connection to a small terrier-type dog; the compound is a lexicalized breed name whose overall referent (a small pug-faced dog) cannot be inferred from the literal parts. This mismatch between constituents and the actual meaning makes the expression unpredictable for a B1 learner who only knows the single-word meanings.

Etymology

Boston bull comes from the city Boston and from the dog's short, strong face that reminded people of a 'bull' or a small bulldog. Breeders in Boston mixed small bulldogs and terriers, so the name came to mean this little American terrier with a short, smooth coat and a pug-like face.