a bull in a china shop

a Determinative

— A is used when the following word could be any of a certain type. Compare "A book I saw on the shelf" and "The book I gave you yesterday".

a Noun

— A is the first letter of the alphabet. The letter "a" comes before "b". — In some schools, an A is a very high grade. Ron got an A on his earth science test.

bull Noun

— An adult male cattle. The bull was kept away from the cows. — An adult male of some large mammals, such as whales, elephants and seals. — Short for "bullshit"; a lie; nonsense. He said he can't be here because he's working late but I think it's bull.

in Preposition

— Used to show that something is inside something else. The cat is in the box. — Used to show that someone is at home, or is available. Is John in? The Doctor is now in. — Used to show movement towards the inside. The rain came in through the window.

China Proper noun

— China is a country in Asia. It is officially called the People's Republic of China. — China is the area controlled by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) — China is the Chinese civilization.

china Noun

— Very good dishes. They are often expensive and decorated with a design. We only get out the good china for special guests.

shop Noun

— A place which sells things. He bought a hat from the shop. — A place where things are made. — An office

shop Verb

— If you shop for something, you look for it in a store because you want to buy it. I need some new shoes, but I've been shopping for them for a week and I can't find any I like.