Obs. [App. f. BULL sb.1 + BEAR sb.1; but, to account for the sense, it has been conjectured that the first element may be BOLL sb.3, or BOGLE. Cf. BUGBEAR (of which also it is not impossible that this is a corruption); also Du. bulle-man ‘larva, spectrum,’ buille-back ‘lemures’ (Kilian, 1642). See next.] A specter, bogy; a scare-crow; a bugbear, or object of groundless terror.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., III. v. (1634), 319. They saw themselves to be openly and uncolourably scorned of the Pope and his Bulbeares.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 423/2. Such as be alyve now should dreadd any Bullbeares of Purgatory.
1592. G. Harvey, Four Lett. (1815), 21. That Fleeting (imprisonment in the Fleet) also proved like the other a silly bullbeare.
