Papal Bull
/ˈpeɪ.pəl bʊl/noun
An official letter or decree issued by the pope.
Did you know?The word bull comes from Latin bulla, the metal seal attached to the document, not from any connection to a male bovine.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
LL
bulla
“a bubble; a round swelling; later, a seal or sealed pendant”
Medieval Latin
ML
bulla
“the lead seal attached to an official document”
Middle English
ME
bulle
“a papal letter or decree bearing a seal”
Modern English
English
papal bull
“an official papal document”