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

Consider buying materials in bulk for larger areas to save money. —Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025

But the prolific writer-director’s latest provides an illustration of how the genre became somewhat fossilized via formulaic writing and overexposure even before 1950s television began churning out Western content in bulk. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025

Verb

Soon after, though, Bale bulked back up as Christopher Nolan came calling with Batman Begins (2005), which was followed by leading roles in Werner Herzog's Rescue Dawn (2006) and the underrated remake of Western 3:10 to Yuma (2007) alongside Russell Crowe. —Johnny Loftus, EW.com, 14 Apr. 2025

Vaquero Bandido honors those traditions by leaving the product as natural as possible, with no juices to bulk it up, and an ingredients list showcasing nothing but beef and seasoning. —Andrew Watman, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025

Adjective

What To Know The Yi Peng 3, a bulk carrier, had dragged its port anchor for a day and a half over 180 nautical miles (more than 330 kilometers) in November 2024, the Swedish report said. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025

Sykesville Mayor Stacy Link participated in the annual free bulk trash pick up Saturday. —Carroll County Times, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2025

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
• the bulk

Rhymes for bulk

• fulk
• hulk
• skulk
• sulk

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