a young bull, the prime full-grown male of the herd brought for sacrifice
This is the word for a bull in its prime: a strong, mature male animal from the cattle herd. It is overwhelmingly a word of the altar. Far more than any other animal name, it belongs to the great public offerings of Israel, where it stands at the top of the scale of value. The priest's own sin offering, the offering for the whole community's sin, the burnt offerings of the major festivals, and the dedication of the tabernacle and altar all call for this animal, often by the dozens. When a worshiper wanted to give the costliest possible gift, this was the gift.
Because the bull was the most valuable and most powerful beast a person could own, the same word readily pictures human strength. The mighty men, princes, and warriors of a nation could be called its bulls, the great muscular creatures who lead the herd. The image cuts two ways: it can honor strength, but more often the prophets and Psalms use it for the proud and hostile, the powerful enemies who hem in the weak or who are themselves dragged down to slaughter.
The single thread holding the two together is the bull's sheer size and force. Whether on the altar or on the battlefield, the word names the largest, strongest male of the herd.