Bouillon, bullet, papal bull, and bulletin are all siblings — each descends from Latin bulla ("bubble"), connecting broth, ammunition, and Vatican decrees through a single round shape.
A clear, seasoned broth made by simmering meat, bones, or vegetables. Used as a base for soups, sauces, and other dishes.
From French bouillon (broth), from bouillir (to boil), from Old French bolir, from Latin bullīre (to bubble, boil), from bulla (bubble) Key roots: bullīre (Latin: "to bubble, boil"), bulla (Latin: "bubble, rounded object").
Bouillon, "boil," "bull" (as in papal bull), "bulletin," and "bullet" all trace back to Latin bulla — a bubble. The connection is that a papal bull was sealed with a round lead seal (bulla), a bulletin was a small bull (a brief official notice), and a bullet was a small round projectile resembling a bubble. The bouillon cube — dehydrated broth compressed into a small block — was invented by Julius Maggi in 1908 and revolutionized home cooking by making instant broth available to ordinary households.