| aq bull | <abbreviation> L. Aqua bulliens, boiling water. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| bull | Of or pertaining to a bull; resembling a bull; male; large; fierce. Bull bat, the pine snake of the United States. Bull stag, a castrated bull. See Stag. Bull wheel, a wheel, or drum, on which a rope is wound for lifting heavy articles, as logs, the tools in well boring, etc. 1. A seal. See Bulla. 2. A letter, edict, or respect, of the pope, written in Gothic characters on rough parchment, sealed with a bulla, and dated "a die Incarnationis," i. E, "from the day of the Incarnation." See Apostolical brief, under Brief. "A fresh bull of Leo's had declared how inflexible the court of Rome was in the point of abuses." (Atterbury) 3. A grotesque blunder in language; an apparent congruity, but real incongruity, of ideas, contained in a form of expression; so called, perhaps, from the apparent incongruity between the dictatorial nature of the pope's bulls and his professions of humility. "And whereas the papist boasts himself to be a Roman Catholic, it is a mere contradiction, one of the pope's bulls, as if he should say universal particular; a Catholic schimatic." (Milton) The Golden Bull, an edict or imperial constitution made by the emperor Charles IV. (1356), containing what became the fundamental law of the German empire; so called from its golden seal. Synonym: See Blunder. Origin: OE. Bulle, fr. L. Bulla bubble, stud, knob, LL, a seal or stamp: cf. F. Bulle. Cf. Bull a writing, Bowl a ball, Boil. 1. <zoology> The male of any species of cattle (Bovidae); hence, the male of any large quadruped, as the elephant; also, the male of the whale. The wild bull of the Old Testament is thought to be the oryx, a large species of antelope. 2. One who, or that which, resembles a bull in character or action. 3. <astronomy> Taurus, the second of the twelve signs of the zodiac. A constellation of the zodiac between Aries and Gemini. It contains the Pleiades. "At last from Aries rolls the bounteous sun, And the bright Bull receives him." (Thomson) 4. One who operates in expectation of a rise in the price of stocks, or in order to effect such a rise. See 4th Bear. Bull baiting, the practice of baiting bulls, or rendering them furious, as by setting dogs to attack them. John Bull, a humorous name for the English, collectively; also, an Englishman. "Good-looking young John Bull." . To take the bull by the horns, to grapple with a difficulty instead of avoiding it. Origin: OE. Bule, bul, bole; akin to D. Bul, G. Bulle, Icel. Boli, Lith. Bullus, Lett. Bollis, Russ. Vol'; prob. Fr. The root of AS. Bellan, E. Bellow. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| bull brier | <botany> A species of Smilax (S. Pseudo-China) growing from new Jersey to the Gulf of Mexico, which has very large tuberous and farinaceous rootstocks, formerly used by the Indians for a sort of bread, and by the negroes as an ingredient in making beer. Synonym: bamboo brier and China brier. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| bull neck | A heavy thick neck caused by hypertrophied muscles or enlarged cervical lymph nodes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bull's-eye | 1. A small circular or oval wooden block without sheaves, having a groove around it and a hole through it, used for connecting rigging. 2. A small round cloud, with a ruddy center, supposed by sailors to portend a storm. 3. A small thick disk of glass inserted in a deck, roof, floor, ship's side, etc, to let in light. 4. A circular or oval opening for air or light. 5. A lantern, with a thick glass lens on one side for concentrating the light on any object; also, the lens itself. 6. <astronomy> Aldebaran, a bright star in the eye of Taurus or the Bull. 7. The center of a target. 8. A thick knob or protuberance left on glass by the end of the pipe through which it was blown. 9. A small and thick old-fashioned watch. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| bull's-eye maculopathy | An ocular condition in which oedema or degeneration of the sensory retina at the posterior pole of the eye causes alternating areas of light and dark, as in a target; seen in toxic, inflammatory, and hereditary conditions. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bull terrier | <zoology> A breed of dogs obtained by crossing the bulldog and the terrier. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| bull trout | <zoology> In England, a large salmon trout of several species, as Salmo trutta and S. Cambricus, which ascend rivers; called also sea trout. Salvelinus malma of California and Oregon; called also Dolly Varden trout and red-spotted trout. The huso or salmon of the Danube. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| American Cancer Society | <address, organisation> American Cancer Society, National Headquarters, 1599 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA. Tel: 00 1 404 320-3333 (05 Feb 1998) |
| bladder cancer | The most common warning sign of bladder cancer is blood in the urine. The diagnosis of bladder cancer is supported by findings in the medical history and examination, blood, urine, and X-ray tests, and confirmed with a biopsy (usually during a cystoscope exam). Treatment of bladder cancer depends on the growth, size, and location of the tumour. (12 Dec 1998) |
| bladder cancer risks | Smoking is a major risk factor. Cigarette smokers develop bladder cancer 2-3 times more often than do nonsmokers. Quitting smoking reduces the risk of bladder cancer, lung cancer, several other types of cancer, and a number of other diseases as well. Workers in some occupations are at higher risk of developing bladder cancer because of exposure to carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) in the workplace. These workers include people in the rubber, chemical, and leather industries, as well as hairstylists, machinists, metal workers, printers, painters, textile workers, and truck drivers. (12 Dec 1998) |
| bone cancer | <oncology> A general term to imply malignant tumour growth in bone. (27 Sep 1997) |
| bovine cancer eye | A malignant squamous cell carcinoma of cattle, especially the Hereford breed, that originates in the conjunctival mucous membranes or the surrounding skin; it occurs principally in range cattle having unpigmented skin around the eye and living in regions of intense sunlight. (05 Mar 2000) |
| BRCA1 breast cancer susceptibility gene | This mutated (changed) version of the BRCA1 gene makes a person susceptible to developing breast cancer. (12 Dec 1998) |
| breast cancer | <oncology> The uncontrolled growth of malignant breast tissue. Breast cancer is currently the most common cancer in women and the leading cause of cancer-related death in the 15-54 age group. Strong risk factors include a prior history for breast cancer or a positive family history for breast cancer. Early detection is possible through the use of monthly breast self-examination, annual clinical exams and mammography. WWW: cancerNET document for patients WWW: cancerNET document for clinicians (05 Jan 1998) |