bulk

[ buhlk ]

/ bʌlk /

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See synonyms for: bulk / bulked / bulker / bulkest on Thesaurus.com

noun

magnitude in three dimensions, especially great size or extent: a ship of massive bulk;a defensive tackle better known for his bulk than for his speed and agility.

a body or mass, especially a large one: The humpback whale was pushing its bulk through the water. The granite bulk can be seen for 100 miles in many directions.

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

Transportation. bulk cargo.

fiber (def. 9).

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

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.

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Idioms about 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

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bolke, bulke “heap, cargo, hold,” from Old Norse bulki “cargo, ship's hold”

synonym study for bulk

1. See size¹.

how to pronounce 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

bulgy, -bulia, bulimarexia, bulimia, bulimic, bulk, bulk buying, bulk cargo, bulk carrier, bulker, bulkhead

Other definitions for bulk (2 of 2)

bulk²

[ buhlk ]

/ bʌlk /

noun Architecture.

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

Origin of bulk

First recorded in 1580–90; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old Norse bálkr “partition, balk”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bulk in a sentence

The bulk of his comments have focused on ending protesters’ violence rather than addressing the cause behind the demonstrations, with invocations of the upcoming presidential election.
Violent protests against police brutality in the ’60s and ’90s changed public opinion|German Lopez|August 28, 2020|Vox
Yu suggested that as offices reopen, people will want to avoid crowded cafeterias, and they’ll choose KitchenMate’s bulk deliveries over having lots of individual deliveries going in and out of buildings and elevators.
KitchenMate makes it easy to cook fresh meals at work|Anthony Ha|August 27, 2020|TechCrunch
A group she co-founded, Cocktails for Hope, is now helping restaurants buy glass bottles in bulk for carryout.
Number of states allowing to-go cocktails has surged from 2 to 33 during coronavirus|Lee Clifford|August 24, 2020|Fortune
Lately their business has survived primarily on web-based sales and bulk purchases.
Slowed mail delivery is the last thing indie bookstores need right now|Rachel King|August 19, 2020|Fortune

The new features are designed to help advertisers optimize campaign performance and make bulk campaign management easier.
Microsoft Advertising Editor gets updated with recommendations and campaign-level targeting|George Nguyen|August 19, 2020|Search Engine Land
More to the point, Huckabee has a natural appeal to a party that has come to represent the bulk of working class white voters.
Can Huckabee Convert the GOP’s Moneymen?|Lloyd Green|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
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
There is none of the jutting out of decks and balconies, and feeling of exterior bulk that is so familiar to mega-yachts.
The World's Most Beautiful Boat—Yours for Half a Billion Dollars|Tim Teeman|October 19, 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
Schools are more than happy to help players bulk up but nothing is done to help them slim down after the cleats get hung up.
College Football Fattens Players Up and Then Abandons Them|Evin Demirel|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Results are in terms of bulk of precipitate, which must not be confused with percentage by weight.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
He fought with the Boers against us and has taken his immense bulk into one campaign after another.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
A vast mountain of green water lifted up its bulk and fell upon us in a ravening cataract.
Uncanny Tales|Various
The Specific Gravity is the relative weight of a body compared to an equal bulk of some other body taken as a standard.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
And, at the same time, he began to bulk rather large in his own eyes with a certain spurious importance.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood

British Dictionary definitions for bulk

bulk

/ (bʌlk) /

noun

volume, size, or magnitude, esp when great

the main partthe bulk of the work is repetitious

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

the part of food which passes unabsorbed through the digestive systemhe 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 prominentthe 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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with bulk

bulk

see in bulk.

bulk

Idioms about bulk

Origin of bulk

synonym study for bulk

how to pronounce bulk

Words nearby bulk

Other definitions for bulk (2 of 2)

Origin of bulk

Words related to bulk

How to use bulk in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bulk

Word Origin for bulk

usage for bulk

Other Idioms and Phrases with bulk