I. ˈbəlk, ˈbu̇lk, ˈbəu̇k noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English bulke, from Old Norse bulki cargo; probably akin to Old English blāwan to blow — more at blow
1.
a. obsolete : heap , pile
b. : one of the long stacks in which salted fish are layered for curing
c. : a large pile of tobacco arranged for fermentation
d. archaic
(1) : the cargo of a ship
(2) : the whole quantity of a commodity
2.
a. : spatial dimension : magnitude , volume ; especially : great extent
his industry was proven by the bulk of his accomplishment
b. archaic : power , might
c. : thickness of paper:
(1) : thickness of a book exclusive of its cover
(2) : thickness of a specified number of sheets of paper or board (as of leaves in a book)
(3) : thickness of a sheet of paper or board in relation to its weight
of two sheets of equal weight the thicker is said to be of higher bulk
d. : mass 1c(1)
e. : material (as fibrous residues of food) that forms a mass in the intestine and is usually felt to promote intestinal motility
3.
a. : the body of a man or lower animal whether living or dead ; especially : trunk — now usually used of human bodies and with an implication of largeness or corpulence
he hauled his black-clad bulk out of the armchair — Herman Wouk
b. : an organized structure : body ; especially : one considered primarily as a mass of material substance
the dark bulks of stalled cars — Raymond Chandler
the giant bulk of Mt. Katahdin — Jackson Rivers
c. : a large mass
4.
a. : the main or greater part
the bulk of his work was finished before supper
the bulk of our property is in bonds
b. : majority
the bulk of the citizens agreed
— often used with adjectives of magnitude
the great bulk of the population
•
- in bulk
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1.
a. : to cause to swell or bulge : stuff — often used with out
a dozen petticoats bulking out her figure
b. : to add bulk to
any inert innocuous material can be used to bulk the trace-element mixture
2. : to gather into a mass
she bulked up her hair with one hand as she reached for the shears with the other
as
a. : to pile (fish or tobacco) in bulks — often used with down
b. : to mix (as tea of different lots or grades) in order to secure a uniform product
c. : to assemble (as funds) in aggregates
baggage is often bulked for the determination of charges
3. : to have a bulk of : amount to
the Hoover Dam bulks about 4,400,000 cubic yards — Joseph Bryan
intransitive verb
1. : swell , expand — often used with up
the loaf bulked up and browned nicely
2.
a. : to have bulk : present a bulky appearance : loom
a dark mass that bulks on the horizon
b. : to be weighty, significant, or impressive
the factor that bulks largest in the present discussion
c. of sheets of paper or board : to reach a certain thickness
the pages of your book bulk 400 to the inch
3.
a. : to form into a cohesive mass
esparto paper pulp bulks well
b. of sewage sludge : to form into masses that will not concentrate normally
III. adjective
1. : in bulk
bulk cement
bulk cargoes
2. : dealing with or involving materials in bulk
a bulk buyer
the bulk window at the post office
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: perhaps from Old Norse bālkr partition; akin to Old Norse bjalki beam — more at balk
archaic : a small structure projecting from a building (as a shop or booth) — compare bulkhead