A thick, muscular neck like that of a bull; or a person with such a neck.
Compound of 'bull' (Old English bula) + 'neck' (Old English hnecca). Describes the distinctive short, thick neck of bulls, which developed as a physical adaptation.
Boxers and wrestlers in the early 1900s were praised for having 'bullnecks' because that thick neck muscle actually protects against knockout punches—fighters would literally do neck exercises to build this protective feature!
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