pulp

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Cooking

n. the soft, fleshy part of a fruit or vegetable.

n. the soft, succulent part of a fruit or vegetable, often containing the seeds.

“I prefer orange juice with the pulp because it feels more natural.”

“After simmering the tomatoes, pass them through a sieve to separate the smooth pulp from the tough skins and seeds.”

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Informal

n. cheap magazines or books that tell exciting, often violent stories.

n. popular, sensationalist fiction or magazines, historically printed on low-quality, rough-textured paper.

“He spent his weekends reading old detective pulp from the 1940s.”

“The director drew heavy inspiration from mid-century pulp, incorporating its lurid colour palettes and dramatic dialogue into his latest film.”

C1 · Advanced Technical

v. to crush something until it becomes a soft, wet mass.

v. to reduce a solid substance to a soft, shapeless mass through crushing or chemical processing.

“The recycling centre pulps thousands of books every day.”

“The unsold copies of the novel were eventually pulped to make room in the warehouse for newer releases.”

C2 · Proficiency Slang · Informal

v. to hit someone very hard many times.

v. to beat someone severely; usually used in the phrase 'beat to a pulp'.

“The bully threatened to beat him to a pulp if he told the teacher.”

“The protagonist was beaten to a pulp by the antagonist's henchmen before making his dramatic escape in the final act.”

C1 · Advanced Informal

adj. relating to cheap, exciting stories or magazines.

adj. characteristic of or relating to pulp magazines and their sensationalist style.

“The movie has a pulp feel with its over-the-top villains and fast action.”

“The author adopted a pulp style for his latest thriller, using short sentences and high-stakes cliffhangers to keep the reader engaged.”