bulk

[ buhlk ]

/ bʌlk /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bulk ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

magnitude in three dimensions: a ship of great bulk.

the greater part; main mass or body: The bulk of the debt was paid.

goods or cargo not in packages or boxes, usually transported in large volume, as grain, coal, or petroleum.

fiber(def 9).

(of paper, cardboard, yarn, etc.) thickness, especially in relation to weight.

the body of a living creature.

bulk mail.

adjective

being or traded in bulk: bulk grain.

verb (used without object)

to increase in size; expand; swell.

to be of or give the appearance of great weight, size, or importance: The problem bulks large in his mind.

(of paper, cardboard, yarn, etc.) to be of or to acquire a specific thickness, especially in relation to weight.

to gather, form, or mix into a cohesive or uniform mass.

verb (used with object)

to cause to swell, grow, or increase in weight or thickness.

to gather, bring together, or mix.

Verb Phrases

bulk up, to increase the bulk of, especially by increasing the thickness of: Adding four chapters will bulk up the book.

Idioms for bulk

in bulk,

unpackaged: Fresh orange juice is shipped from Florida in bulk.
in large quantities: Those who buy in bulk receive a discount.

Origin of bulk

1400–50; late Middle English bolke heap, cargo, hold < Old Norse bulki cargo, ship's hold

synonym study for bulk

1. See size¹.

pronunciation note for bulk

Bulk and bulge most often are pronounced with the vowel

[uh] /ʌ/ of buck. In South Midland and Southern U.S. the [oo] /ʊ/ of book and bull commonly occurs among all speakers. Standard British speech has only [uh] /ʌ/. 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.

Words nearby bulk

bulgur, bulgy, bulimarexia, bulimia, bulimic, bulk, bulk buying, bulk carrier, bulk mail, bulk modulus, bulk up

Definition for bulk (2 of 2)

bulk ²

[ buhlk ]

/ bʌlk /

noun Architecture.

a structure, as a stall, projecting from the front of a building.

Origin of bulk

1350–1400; Middle English: stall; apparently special use of bulk¹

Example sentences from the Web for bulk

The bulk of the premiere actually put an unexpected spin on the ripped-from-the-headlines story.

‘Newsroom’ Premiere: Aaron Sorkin Puts CNN on Blast Over the Boston Bombing |Kevin Fallon |November 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
For too long, luxury boats have size and bulk on their side, but in design terms they rarely surprise or look as stunning as STAR.

The World's Most Beautiful Boat—Yours for Half a Billion Dollars |Tim Teeman |October 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Both Just Label It and the Non-GMO Project receive the bulk of their donations from natural foods companies.

Whole Foods' Anti-GMO Swindle |Michael Schulson |September 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But the constant cry for help has angered German politicians especially, as the bulk of the refugees are heading there.

Italy's Latest Export Is Refugees, and the Rest of Europe Is Not Happy |Barbie Latza Nadeau |August 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

The immediate explanation is that the bulk of the cases arise from car stops.

Ferguson Feeds Off the Poor: Three Warrants a Year Per Household |Michael Daly |August 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The bulk of the country gentlemen, the bulk of the wealthier traders, had by that time become Puritans.

History of the English People, Volume V (of 8) |John Richard Green
Two shrubby species of Euonymus belong to the flora of North America, but the bulk of the large family is tropical.

Trees Worth Knowing |Julia Ellen Rogers
With the bulk of the villagers searching for him, it was simply a matter of time before he would be run down.

The New Boys at Oakdale |Morgan Scott
In bulk and height it appeared to be half as big again as any of its tribe which I had known in all my life's experience.

The Ivory Child |H. Rider Haggard
The son would have inherited the bulk of his property, and I should have received an inconsiderable legacy.

Tom, The Bootblack |Horatio Alger

British Dictionary definitions for bulk

bulk

/ (bʌlk) /

noun

volume, size, or magnitude, esp when great

the main part the bulk of the work is repetitious

a large body, esp of a person he eased his bulk out of the chair

the part of food which passes unabsorbed through the digestive system he eased his bulk out of the chair

unpackaged cargo or goods

a ship's cargo or hold

printing

the thickness of a number of sheets of paper or cardboard
the thickness of a book excluding its covers

(plural) copies of newspapers sold in bulk at a discounted price to hotels, airlines, etc which issue them free to their customers

in bulk

in large quantities
(of a cargo, etc) unpackaged

verb

to cohere or cause to cohere in a mass

to place, hold, or transport (several cargoes of goods) in bulk

bulk large to be or seem important or prominent the problem bulked large in his mind

Word Origin for bulk

C15: from Old Norse bulki cargo

usage for bulk

The use of a plural noun after bulk was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable

Idioms and Phrases with bulk

bulk

see in bulk.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

bulk