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

2

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

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

3

: 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

Examples of bullpen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bringing García back makes sense for the Blue Jays, who need to rebuild a depleted bullpen, but his addition doesn’t move the needle for a restless fan base. —Kaitlyn McGrath, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024

But in a Monday Zoom conference with Boston media, Red Sox baseball operations chief Craig Breslow said that adding a right-handed power bat to the lineup remains one of his two top priorities for the remainder of the offseason, the other being further bolstering the bullpen. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024

Then there’s the bullpen, which could be anchored by the veteran who shut down the New York Yankees for 2 ⅓ innings in the World Series clincher, the retention of Treinen being a sneaky good move. —Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024

Clubhouse tours will resume in the spring, taking visitors through the weight rooms, batting cages, bullpen, and interview room. —Peter Larsen, Orange County Register, 18 Dec. 2024

Asked recently about under-the-radar internal options for the Yankees’ 2025 bullpen, manager Aaron Boone specifically named Beeter. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 24 Dec. 2024

From his playing days, Posey remembers his Giants won with great starting pitching and a formidable bullpen juggled well by manager Bruce Bochy. —Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 22 Dec. 2024

The recent acquisition of right-handed pitcher Fernando Cruz along with catcher Alex Jackson from the Cincinnati Reds for catcher Jose Trevino strengthens the ball club’s bullpen. —Wayne G. McDonnell, Jr., Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024

Avoiding the same fate as last year requires pitching depth, particularly in the bullpen. —Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bull pen

noun

1

: a large cell where prisoners are held until brought into court

2

a

: a place on a baseball field where relief pitchers warm up

b

: the relief pitchers of a team