the world. The next-largest producer by number of units is Caterpillar Inc., which produced 6,400 units. Komatsu introduced the D575A in 1981, the D757A-2 in 1991, and the D575A-3 in 2002, which the company touts as the biggest bulldozer in the world. History of the word A 19th-century term used in engineering for a horizontal forging press Around 1870s: In the USA, a "bulldose" was a large dose (namely, one large enough to be literally or figuratively effective against a bull) of any sort of medicine or punishment. By the late 1870s, "to bulldoze" and "bulldozing" were being used throughout the United States to describe intimidation "by violent and unlawful means", which sometimes meant a severe whipping or coercion, or other intimidation, such as at gunpoint. It had a particular meaning in the Southern United States as a whipping or other punishment for African Americans to suppress black voter turnout in the 1876 United States presidential election. 1886: "Bulldozer" meant a large-caliber pistol and the person who wielded it. Late 19th century: "Bulldozing" meant using brute force to push over or through any obstacle, with reference to two bulls pushing against each other's heads in a fight over dominance. 1930s: applied to the vehicle These appeared as early as 1929, but were known as "bull grader" blades, and the term "bulldozer blade" did not appear to come into widespread use until the mid-1930s. "Bulldozer" now refers to the whole machine, not just the attachment. In contemporary usage, "bulldozer" is sometimes shortened to "dozer", and the verb "bulldozing" to "dozing", thus making a homophone with the pre-existing verb "dozing". Gallery See also Acco super bulldozer, largest bulldozer manufactured Athanas for the 'bulldozer shrimp' (from the way it pushes sand about) == References == External links The mechanism of a bulldozer (Short illustrated explanations, with flash animations, suitable for kids) Old engine Bulldozer pages photos When Bulldozers roamed the earth Construction equipment Demolition Engineering vehicles Heavy equipment Tracked vehicles American inventions