bulk
n. · adj.-
1 the majority (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Academicthe largest part of something.
the greater part or majority of a whole.
ExampleThe bulk of the work was finished by noon, so we took a long break.
ExampleThe bulk of the research funding was allocated to renewable energy projects, leaving little for traditional fossil fuel studies.
UsageUsually follows the pattern 'the bulk of [something]'.
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2 muscle mass (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Informalextra body weight, especially from building muscle.
increased body mass, specifically muscle tissue developed through strength training and diet.
ExampleHe started eating more protein to add some bulk to his frame.
ExampleThe athlete focused on adding functional bulk during the off-season to improve his performance in contact situations.
- muscle
- heaviness
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3 large quantities (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediatebought or sold in large amounts, often at a lower price.
relating to goods bought, sold, or transported in large quantities and not in separate packages.
ExampleIt is usually cheaper to buy rice in bulk bags rather than small boxes.
ExampleThe company specialises in bulk shipments of raw minerals to industrial manufacturing plants across the continent.
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'in bulk'.
From Middle English bulk, bolke (“a heap, cargo, hold; heap; bulge”), borrowed from Old Norse búlki (“the freight or the cargo of a ship”), from Proto-Germanic bulkô (“beam, pile, heap”), from Proto-Indo-European bʰelǵ- (“beam, pile, prop”). Compare Icelandic búlkast (“to be bulky”), Swedish dialectal bulk (“a bunch”), Danish bulk (“bump, knob”). Conflated with Middle English bouk (“belly, trunk”).