Meaning & use
bullhorn
Last updated
UK/ˈbʊlhɔːn/
US/ˈbʊlhɔːrn/
Meaning
nouncountableAmerican
A hand-held loudspeaker that makes a voice louder so a crowd can hear it.
Grammar: Used with through or into: shout through a bullhorn.
Patterns
- through a bullhorn
- into a bullhorn
The coach shouted instructions through a bullhorn.
A protester raised a bullhorn and began to chant.
Rescuers used a bullhorn to call to the hikers.
Word forms
| plural | bullhorns |
|---|
Common combinations
- shout through a bullhorn
- The captain shouted through a bullhorn across the field.
- hold a bullhorn
- She held a bullhorn above her head.
- electric bullhorn
- An electric bullhorn carried her voice down the street.
- police bullhorn
- A police bullhorn told people to go home.
- speak into a bullhorn
- He spoke into a bullhorn at the rally.
Synonyms and how they differ
- megaphone
- Megaphone is the common general word and may be a simple cone without batteries.
- loudhailer
- Loudhailer is the British term for the same device.
- PA system
- A PA system is a larger fixed sound setup, not a hand-held device.
- speaker
- Speaker is a general word and does not imply hand-held use.
Word family
Commonly confused: bullhorn or megaphone?
bullhorn vs megaphone
Megaphone is a near synonym, sometimes a simple cone, while bullhorn is usually an electric one.
Practice
Why might a stadium official use a bullhorn?
Choose one answer.
A bullhorn amplifies the voice so a crowd can hear. The other uses do not match.
Make it your own
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