bulk
1 Americannoun
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magnitude in three dimensions, especially great size or extent: a defensive tackle better known for his bulk than for his speed and agility.
a ship of massive bulk;
a defensive tackle better known for his bulk than for his speed and agility.
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a body or mass, especially a large one: The granite bulk can be seen for 100 miles in many directions.
The humpback whale was pushing its bulk through the water.
The granite bulk can be seen for 100 miles in many directions.
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the greater part; main mass or body.
The bulk of the debt was paid.
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Transportation. bulk cargo.
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(of paper, cardboard, yarn, etc.) thickness, especially in relation to weight.
adjective
verb (used without object)
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to be of or give the appearance of great weight, size, or importance.
The problem bulks large in his mind.
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(of paper, cardboard, yarn, etc.) to be of or to acquire a specific thickness, especially in relation to weight.
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to gather, form, or mix into a cohesive or uniform mass.
verb (used with object)
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to cause to swell, grow, or increase in weight or thickness.
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to gather, bring together, or mix.
verb phrase
idioms
noun
noun
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volume, size, or magnitude, esp when great
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the main part
the bulk of the work is repetitious
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a large body, esp of a person
he eased his bulk out of the chair
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the part of food which passes unabsorbed through the digestive system
he eased his bulk out of the chair
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unpackaged cargo or goods
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a ship's cargo or hold
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printing
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the thickness of a number of sheets of paper or cardboard
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the thickness of a book excluding its covers
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(plural) copies of newspapers sold in bulk at a discounted price to hotels, airlines, etc which issue them free to their customers
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in large quantities
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(of a cargo, etc) unpackaged
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verb
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to cohere or cause to cohere in a mass
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to place, hold, or transport (several cargoes of goods) in bulk
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to be or seem important or prominent
the problem bulked large in his mind
Pronunciation
Bulk and bulge most often are pronounced with the vowel of buck. In South Midland and Southern U.S. the of book and bull commonly occurs among all speakers. Standard British speech has only . Both types exist in British regional speech, and both were brought to the colonies, where each came to predominate in a different area and was carried west by migration.
Usage
The use of a plural noun after bulk was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable
Related Words
See size 1.
Etymology
Origin of bulk1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bolke, bulke “heap, cargo, hold,” from Old Norse bulki “cargo, ship's hold”
Origin of bulk2
First recorded in 1580–90; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old Norse bálkr “partition, balk”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It’s more like throwing away unused groceries or continuing to go to Costco or some of those expensive stores and buying in bulk, and then throwing away much of it.”
From MarketWatch
Without this final step, electronics will only gain capability by bulking up.
Plus, officials had to pay to conduct searches one by one, not in bulk.
From Salon
While the headline figure eased, underlying price pressures in Tokyo—considered a leading indicator of nationwide trends—remain firm, with the bulk of the slowdown due to the impact of government subsidies, Friday’s data showed.
Now, when new cards are released, fans complain it is increasingly hard to get them due to scalpers and resellers attempting to buy in bulk and sell for a profit.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
