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

The teams that succeed often in those are usually the teams that do all the little things right and have a good bullpen. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2024

Hernández is available in the Royals bullpen against the Tampa Bays. —Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2024

Leading by three run in the bottom of the seventh with the CIF San Diego Section Division 1 baseball championship on the line, the San Marcos High School baseball coach went to the bullpen to snuff a two-on, no-one out Poway rally. —John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2024

The Brewers’ bullpen had to shoulder most of the load Monday, as starter Joe Ross was only able to provide one inning. —Miami Herald, 21 May 2024

The addition of Banda gives the Dodgers three left-handers in the bullpen now with Alex Vesia and Ryan Yarbrough. —Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register, 20 May 2024

Crawford, 22, was promoted to Triple-A Sacramento this week and, according to Farhan Zaidi, the Giants’ 2022 first-round draft pick could be pitching out of the big-league bullpen by the end of the season. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 17 May 2024

Perhaps the tendency to walk hitters spreads through the bullpen? —Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 14 May 2024

Seven relievers in, their bullpen felt at the end of its rope against a fast, feisty opponent that kept coming. —Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 10 May 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