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.
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
1
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.
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.
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
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.