bullpen
noun
bull·pen
ˈbu̇l-ˌpen 
also ˈbəl-
variants
or less commonly bull pen
plural bullpens also bull pens
1
: a large cell where prisoners are detained until brought into court
Commonly called the "bullpen," the court lockup is behind the courtroom and is used as a holding area for prisoners …—
Bruce A. Scruton
Bruce A. Scruton2
a
: a place on a baseball field where pitchers warm up before they start pitching
In the bullpen, Goose Gossage is warming up.—Tony Scherman
Tony Scherman
b
: the relief pitchers of a baseball team
After five innings Seattle led 14-2 and, with baseball's best bullpen waiting to protect the lead should starter Aaron Sele falter …—Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated3
: an open work area not divided into offices
… an alternative to the traditional combination of private offices for the brass and bullpens for the workers.—Carl Ruff
Carl RuffExamples of bullpen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
A number of qualities have led to the success of the bullpen, with velocity and pitch shapes being two of them.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025
Royals reliever John Schreiber came in from the bullpen.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2025
Notably, the Red Sox could use a closer to the backend of the bullpen.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Yuki Matsui took the first loss by a member of the Padres bullpen, which still has the lowest ERA (1.46) and second-lowest average allowed (.165) of any bullpen in the majors.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025
Hendriks, 36, a righthander, is expected to be a key member of the Red Sox bullpen.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2025
That sobering reality became all the more apparent Sunday, when the Dodgers (11-6) did little against Cubs starting pitcher Colin Rea; a swingman from the bullpen with a career 4.52 ERA.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
But their efforts weren’t enough on a night when the bullpen gave up six runs and the defense made a pair of errors that led to two unearned runs.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2025
It was later learned that Hollingsworth entered the bull pen to check on the water source, and the animal attacked him, knocking him unconscious, according to deputies.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 21 Jan. 2025
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Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025
Royals reliever John Schreiber came in from the bullpen.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2025
Notably, the Red Sox could use a closer to the backend of the bullpen.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Yuki Matsui took the first loss by a member of the Padres bullpen, which still has the lowest ERA (1.46) and second-lowest average allowed (.165) of any bullpen in the majors.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025
Hendriks, 36, a righthander, is expected to be a key member of the Red Sox bullpen.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2025
That sobering reality became all the more apparent Sunday, when the Dodgers (11-6) did little against Cubs starting pitcher Colin Rea; a swingman from the bullpen with a career 4.52 ERA.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
But their efforts weren’t enough on a night when the bullpen gave up six runs and the defense made a pair of errors that led to two unearned runs.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2025
It was later learned that Hollingsworth entered the bull pen to check on the water source, and the animal attacked him, knocking him unconscious, according to deputies.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 21 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bullpen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bullpen. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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