bulldoze

Etymology

From earlier bulldose (noun, literally “bull-dose, a dose fit for a bull”), equivalent to bull +‎ dose.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbʊldoʊz/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbʊldəʊz/
• Hyphenation: bull‧doze

Verb

bulldoze (third-person singular simple present bulldozes, present participle bulldozing, simple past and past participle bulldozed)

1. To destroy with a bulldozer.

   He's certainly very chirpy for a man whose house has just been bulldozed down.

2. (Britain) To push someone over by heading straight over them. Often used in conjunction with "over".

   He just ran across the field bulldozing everyone over.

3. (Britain) To push through forcefully.
   • 2012 November 10, Amy Lawrence, “Fulham's Mark Schwarzer saves late penalty in dramatic draw at Arsenal”, in The Guardian‎:

     For the second time in a week, Wenger's team gave themselves an encouraging platform. In the 11th minute Theo Walcott drilled in a corner, and Olivier Giroud bulldozed through unopposed to thump the ball goalwards.

4. To push into a heap, as a bulldozer does.

   Again the animal had bulldozed all of its bedding into a heap at one end of its cage.

5. (Britain) To shoot down an idea immediately and forcefully.

   That was a good suggestion, but you just bulldozed it.

6. (US, slang, dated) To intimidate; to restrain or coerce by intimidation or violence; used originally of the intimidation of black voters in Louisiana.