bulk cargo

American  

[buhlk kahr-goh] / ˈbʌlk ˈkɑr goʊ /

noun

Transportation.

1. cargo that is shipped loose and unpackaged, as grains, coal, ores, and oil.

   The hatchways are inspected to insure safe loading and discharging of the bulk cargo.

---

Etymology

Origin of bulk cargo

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

“Log volumes, which make up 80% of bulk cargo, are likely to decline through the second half due to the impact of higher diesel prices,” analyst Andy Bowley says.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

The others were general and bulk cargo vessels.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

It is estimated that a third of the world's bulk cargo, and two-thirds of its oil, is transported across the Indian Ocean.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2023

The Laodicea is one of three bulk cargo vessels operated by Syriamar Shipping Ltd., a Syrian government-run company under U.S. sanctions since 2015 for its ties to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 2, 2022

For a moment we were puzzled, and then we saw that the train was made up entirely of gondola cars such as are used to carry coal and other bulk cargo.

From The Image and the Likeness by Campbell, John Scott