bulk

¹ American  

[buhlk] / bʌlk /

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. the greater part; main mass or body.

   The bulk of the debt was paid.

4. Transportation. bulk cargo.

5. fiber.

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

7. bulk mail.

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adjective

1. being or traded in bulk.

   bulk grain.

verb (used without object)

1. to increase in size; expand; swell.

2. to be of or give the appearance of great weight, size, or importance.

   The problem bulks large in his mind.

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

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

verb (used with object)

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

2. to gather, bring together, or mix.

verb phrase

1. bulk up to increase the bulk of, especially by increasing the thickness of.

   Adding four chapters will bulk up the book.

idioms

1. in bulk,

   1. unpackaged.

      Fresh orange juice is shipped from Florida in bulk.

   2. in large quantities.

      Those who buy in bulk receive a discount.

bulk ² American  

[buhlk] / bʌlk /

noun

Architecture.

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

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bulk British  

/ bʌlk /

noun

1. volume, size, or magnitude, esp when great

2. the main part

   the bulk of the work is repetitious

3. a large body, esp of a person

   he eased his bulk out of the chair

4. the part of food which passes unabsorbed through the digestive system

   he eased his bulk out of the chair

5. unpackaged cargo or goods

6. a ship's cargo or hold

7. printing

   1. the thickness of a number of sheets of paper or cardboard

   2. the thickness of a book excluding its covers

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

9. 1. in large quantities

   2. (of a cargo, etc) unpackaged

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verb

1. to cohere or cause to cohere in a mass

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

3. to be or seem important or prominent

   the problem bulked large in his mind

bulk More Idioms  

1. see in bulk.

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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”

Explanation

Don’t be intimidated by the bulk of the dictionary on your desk. If you look in it, you’ll see that bulk is a small word used to talk about large things. Bulk has a variety of meanings that all involve something large, like the bulk of a ship in the harbor, or the excess bulk of your overweight cat. Bulk can also mean “majority,” as when the bulk of your diet is tater tots and guacamole. You can expect to put on a lot of bulk if you eat like that.

Example Sentences

The bulk of that revenue — $5.6 billion — is projected to actually reflect ad spending on the magazines’ websites, rather than on print pages, PwC said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

According to the Department of Justice, he allegedly withdrew his winnings - about $409,881 - and transferred the bulk of the funds to a foreign cryptocurrency "vault" that generates interest.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

Branded sets may be expensive, but bulk lots of mixed pieces can be purchased by the pound for a few bucks.

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026

North America revenue surged 26% to $2.17 billion, while international revenue, the bulk of the business, fell 3.8% to $6.47 billion.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

If she lay across his shoulders, she would account for the bulk, and for the fact that they couldn’t see his head.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• amount
• extent
• quantity
• total
• volume
• weight