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

The shop mainly survives on repeat customers who buy her $12 juices and produce in bulk. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2024

The latter is subject to bulk and negotiated prices through private commercial channels, but will later be made available for individual sale on HP’s online store. —Joe Osborne, PCMAG, 20 May 2024

Verb

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

The two streaming services, Max/Discovery+ (95 million global subscribers) and Paramount+ (63 million subs), are seen as subscale compared to the offerings from Netflix (247 million subscribers) or Disney+ (105 million core subs), with a merger helping to bulk them up. —Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023

Adjective

Their relievers threw 128 innings in May, 13 more than the next-closest team, and the Giants plan to employ a bullpen game of some sort in their first game in Arizona, with Spencer Howard expected to take down bulk innings. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 2 June 2024

The department is also starting a voluntary program for producers to test bulk milk, enabling them to transport virus-free herds across state lines without having to test individual cows. —Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 30 May 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