bulk (bʌlk
)
Definitions
noun
- volume, size, or magnitude, esp when great
- the main part ⇒
the bulk of the work is repetitious
- a large body, esp of a person ⇒
he eased his bulk out of the chair
- the part of food which passes unabsorbed through the digestive system ⇒
he eased his bulk out of the chair
- unpackaged cargo or goods
- a ship's cargo or hold
- printing
- the thickness of a number of sheets of paper or cardboard
- the thickness of a book excluding its covers
- (plural) copies of newspapers sold in bulk at a discounted price to hotels, airlines, etc which issue them free to their customers
- See in bulk
verb
- to cohere or cause to cohere in a mass
- to place, hold, or transport (several cargoes of goods) in bulk
- See bulk large
Word Origin
C15: from Old Norse bulki cargoSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
size,
volume,
dimensions,
magnitude,
substance,
vastness,
amplitude,
immensity,
bigness,
largeness,
massiveness,
=
majority,
mass,
most,
body,
quantity,
best part major part
lion's share,
better part
generality,
preponderance,
main part
plurality,
nearly all greater number
Usage examples
There was no contact blip for the Drumbeat because they were too low and the bulk of the Caledonia dominated their surrounds.
, Let Not the Deep (1994)Carbohydrates should be the bulk of a person's diet, says the report, making up 55 to 75 per cent of daily energy intake.
New Scientist (2003)The potential deficit could cancel out the bulk of the monetary gain from winning the title in the first place.
Irish Times (2002)In other words, the bulk of the necessary kill is being handled by about 50 % of our abattoirs.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Opium was the single commodity the British could trade in bulk to the other great empire to the east, China.
, THE SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT: The Scots' Invention of the Modern World (2002)