bulk

bulk¹ [bʌlk] n

[Date: 1400-1500; : Old Norse; Origin: bulki 'goods carried on a ship']

1.) the bulk (of sth)

the main or largest part of something

▪ The bulk of consumers are based in towns.

2.) [C usually singular]

a big mass or shape of something

▪ the great bulk of a building

3.) [U]

the size of something or someone

▪ The dough will rise until it is double in bulk.

4.) in bulk

if you buy goods in bulk, you buy large amounts each time you buy them

bulk ²

bulk² adj

1.) bulk buying/orders etc

the buying etc of goods in large quantities at one time

2.) [only before noun]

bulk goods are sold or moved in large quantities

▪ bulk flour for commercial bakeries

3.) bulk mail

if you send something bulk mail, you send large amounts of it for a smaller cost than normal

bulk ³

bulk³ v bulk large

to be the main or most important part of something

bulk out [bulk sth<=>out] phr v

to make something bigger or thicker by adding something else

▪ We can bulk out the report with lots of diagrams.