bully

n.; pl. Bullies [ 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, who threatens, intimidates, or badgers people who are smaller or weaker than he is; an insolent, tyrannical fellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bullies seldom execute the threats they deal in. Palmerston. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A brisk, dashing fellow. [ Slang Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Jovial and blustering; dashing. [ Slang ] “Bless thee, bully doctor.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fine; excellent; as, a bully horse. [ Slang, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bullied p. pr. & vb. n. Bullying. ] To intimidate or badger with threats and by an overbearing, swaggering demeanor; to act the part of a bully{ 1 } toward. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To bluster; swagger; hector; domineer. [ 1913 Webster ]

interj. Well done! Excellent! [ PJC ]

{ n., . [ F. bouilli boiled meat, fr. bouillir to boil. See Boil, v. The word bouilli was formerly commonly used on the labels of canned beef. ] Pickled or canned beef. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

adj. Noisily domineering; tending to browbeat others.
Syn. -- blustery. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. An exceptionally advantageous position from which to extol one's ideas; -- applied especially to the presidency of the United States, which was described thus by President Theodore Rossevelt. [ PJC ]

v. t. Same as Bullirag. [ 1913 Webster ]