bulk

1 of 3

noun

ˈbəlk 

 also  ˈbu̇lk

1

a

: magnitude

impressed by the sheer bulk of her accomplishment

b

biology : material that forms a mass in the intestine

especially : fiber sense 1d

need more bulk in their diet

2

a

: body

especially : a large or corpulent human body

he hauled his … bulk out of the armchair

—Herman Wouk

b

: an organized structure especially when viewed primarily as a mass of material

the giant bulk of Mt. Katahdin

—Jackson Rivers

c

: a ponderous shapeless mass

3

: the main or greater part

spent the bulk of his time in the office

the bulk of the population

bulk

2 of 3

verb

bulked; bulking; bulks

transitive verb

1

: to cause to swell or bulge : stuff

bulk out a report with lots of graphs and charts

2

: to gather into a mass or aggregate

intransitive verb

1

: swell, expand

2

: to appear as a factor : loom

a consideration that bulks large in everyone's thinking

bulk

3 of 3

adjective

1

: being in large quantities or not divided into separate units : being in bulk

bulk shipments of food

bulk mailings

2

: of or relating to materials in bulk

bulk prices

Phrases

in bulk

1

: not divided into parts or packaged in separate units

2

: in large quantities

buys rice in bulk

Synonyms

Noun

• generality
• lion's share
• majority
• mass
• preponderance

Verb

• accumulate
• amass
• assemble
• collect
• concentrate
• congregate
• constellate
• corral
• garner
• gather
• group
• lump
• pick up
• round up

Choose the Right Synonym for bulk

bulk, mass, volume mean the aggregate that forms a body or unit.

bulk implies an aggregate that is impressively large, heavy, or numerous.

the darkened bulk of the skyscrapers

mass suggests an aggregate made by piling together things of the same kind.

a mass of boulders

volume applies to an aggregate without shape or outline and capable of flowing or fluctuating.

a tremendous volume of water

Examples of bulk in a Sentence

Noun

We spent the bulk of the summer at the beach.

Farming makes up the bulk of the country's economy.

The great bulk of these people are extremely poor.

Despite his bulk, he's a very fast runner.

Verb

she bulked up her hair with one hand as she reached for the shears with the other

Adjective

They sent bulk shipments of food to the country.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Novela buys Cocoa Puffs in bulk and uses a box in each batch, which makes about 110 cocktails. —Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 18 July 2024

This is excellent news for the desktop market but outstanding news for the server industry, where power consumption and cooling costs tend to be significant expenses for operating these systems in bulk. —Michael Justin Allen Sexton, PCMAG, 15 July 2024

Verb

Beans can be added as the main protein in a vegetarian dish or used in meat dishes to bulk them up with additional protein and fiber. —Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Health, 14 June 2024

Laxatives such as magnesium may be used for constipation, while bulking fiber agents such as psyllium or calcium polycarbophil can reduce incontinence/urgency. —Suzie Finkel Ms, Rd, Cdn, Health, 26 May 2024

Adjective

The schooner carried bulk salt, and was bound for Chicago Estimates suggest there are more than 1,700 ships resting at the bottom of Lake Michigan, most of which have not been discovered. —Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 23 July 2024

The hotel is working toward introducing bulk bath products and only provides boxed or glass water bottles. —Devorah Lev-Tov, Travel + Leisure, 19 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Verb, and Adjective

Middle English, heap, bulk, from Old Norse bulki cargo

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1529, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1693, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bulk

• bulk large
• bulk out
• bulk up
• in bulk
• the bulk

Kids Definition

bulk

1 of 3 noun

ˈbəlk 

1

: greatness of size or mass : volume

2

: a large body or mass

3

: the main or greater part

did the bulk of the work

4

: fiber sense 1f

bulk

2 of 3 verb

1

: to cause to swell or bulge

2

: to appear as a consideration

an issue that bulks large in her mind

bulk

3 of 3 adjective

: being in bulk

bulk foods

Medical Definition

bulk

noun

ˈbəlk 

: material (as indigestible fibrous residues of food) that forms a mass in the intestine

especially : fiber sense 2

Legal Definition

bulk

1 of 2 noun

ˈbəlk 

: a large mass

bulk

2 of 2 adjective

1

: being in bulk

bulk shipment of wheat

bulk foods

2

: of or relating to materials in bulk

bulk buyer