bull shark
7
6.7
- noun
- /bʊl ʃɑrk/
- Specialized
:
tiburón toro
- Diving in the coastal waters, we spotted a bull shark swimming nearby, its powerful body gliding through the waves.
- bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas
Yeah, and I later found out was because it's in fact bull sharks and they do attack and kill people regularly.
- Yeah, and I later found out was because it's in fact bull sharks and they do attack and kill people regularly.
Examples
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The bull shark is known for its aggressive nature and ability to thrive in both salt and fresh water.
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Great whites prefer the colder and temperate waters of Australia's south, while tiger and bull sharks are more common in northern tropical waters.
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A bull shark is not just any fish.
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Natural Resources Police thought it was a bull shark bite.
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Well, I think bull sharks can be aggressive.
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This was the biggest bull shark I've ever seen.
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Bull sharks swim up rivers.
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Bull sharks can survive in freshwater.
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In Fiji, we had about 15 bull sharks swimming all around us (with a variety of other shark species).
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The attacks were blamed on white or bull sharks and attributed to a mass influx of people that summer to the coastal beaches.
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Synonyms
A large, aggressive shark called the bull shark that lives in warm shallow water near the coast and in rivers
How Dangerous
5
3.9
- Specialized
7
6.7
- Specialized
4
4.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward noun–noun compound where 'bull' modifies 'shark' to indicate a type of shark (likely large or aggressive); a learner who knows 'bull' and 'shark' can infer it refers to a kind of shark with bull-like qualities. While specific biological details (e.g., freshwater tolerance, scientific name) are not predictable from the constituents, the basic referent is compositionally transparent.
Etymology
Bull shark was named because this shark is heavy and behaves like a bull — it has a thick body and a blunt nose and can charge quickly, and it even swims into rivers as well as the sea. That's why the name gives the idea of a large, 'aggressive' shark that can live in both salt and fresh water.