pulp

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈpəlp 

1

a(1)

: the soft, succulent part of a fruit usually composed of mesocarp

(2)

: stem pith when soft and spongy

b

: a soft mass of vegetable matter (as of apples) from which most of the water has been extracted by pressure

c

: the soft sensitive tissue that fills the central cavity of a tooth see tooth illustration

d

: a material prepared by chemical or mechanical means from various materials (such as wood or rags) for use in making paper and cellulose products

2

: pulverized ore mixed with water

3

a

: pulpy condition or character

b

: something in such a condition or having such a character

4

: a magazine or book printed on cheap paper (such as newsprint) and often dealing with sensational material

also : sensational or tabloid writing

—often used attributively

pulp fiction

pulp

2 of 3

verb

pulped; pulping; pulps

transitive verb

1

: to reduce to pulp

pulped unsold copies of the book

2

: to cause to appear pulpy

3

: to deprive of the pulp

intransitive verb

: to become pulp or pulpy

pulper noun

pulper

3 of 3

noun (2)

pulp·​er

ˈpəlpə(r)

plural -s

: one that makes, grinds, mixes, or removes pulp : one that reduces something (as fruit or guncotton) to pulp

specifically : a machine that reduces (as broke and waste paper) to pulp in the presence of water in papermaking

Synonyms of pulp

Verb

• mash
• crush
• squeeze

Examples of pulp in a Sentence

Noun (1)

The fruit has sweet, juicy pulp and hard, black seeds.

the pulp of an orange

I like to strain the pulp out of my orange juice.

The grain was mashed into pulp.

The boxes will be turned back into pulp and be made into newspapers.

This paper is made from inexpensive wood pulp.

He made a little extra money by writing stories for a science fiction pulp.

Verb

pulped three oranges to get their juice

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Maclean’s work traffics in deep fakes and glitch aesthetics, rainbow cuteness and the tropes of pulp—but these are set against violent dystopias and a world of cruelties borne, especially, by women (see her 2018 video Make Me Up as an example). —Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026

The 11 people killed after a chemical tank ruptured at a pulp and paper mill in Washington state last month all suffered chemical burns, officials said Thursday while releasing the autopsy results. —Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 11 June 2026

Verb

Mathieu Lewis-Rolland / Getty Images The tank was designed to hold 900,000 gallons of a hazardous chemical known as white liquor, a chemical brew that contains sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfide and disodium carbonate and is used in the paper-pulping process, officials have said. —Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 31 May 2026

The proprietary alkaline pulping method used to produce its lyocell is cleaner and more efficient than traditional chemical approaches, lowering the environmental footprint from the start while improving production efficiency. —Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 29 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English pulpe, from Latin pulpa flesh, pulp

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1649, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing pulp

• beat them to a (bloody) pulp
• to a pulp
• wood pulp

Rhymes for pulp

• gulp

Kids Definition

pulp

1 of 2 noun

ˈpəlp 

1

a

: the soft juicy or fleshy part of a fruit or vegetable

the pulp of an apple

b

: a mass of vegetable matter from which the juice or moisture has been squeezed

pulp left in orange juice

2

: the soft sensitive tissue that fills the central cavity of a tooth

3

: a material prepared chiefly from wood but also from other materials (as rags) and used in making paper products

4

: pulpy state

beaten to a pulp

5

: a magazine or book on cheap paper and often dealing with sensational material

pulp

2 of 2 verb

: to make into a pulp

pulper noun

Medical Definition

pulp

noun

ˈpəlp 

: a mass of soft tissue: as

a

: dental pulp

b

: the characteristic somewhat spongy tissue of the spleen

c

: the fleshy portion of the fingertip