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REFERENCE

pulp

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈpəɫp// UK //pˈʌlp// pulp
  1. 1 soft mass of material (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a soft, wet, and shapeless mass of material.

    a soft, moist, and shapeless mass of matter, often produced by crushing or grinding a solid substance.

    Example

    The rain had turned the old newspapers on the ground into a grey pulp.

    Example

    The industrial machine grinds the timber into a fine pulp before it is processed into various grades of commercial paper.
  2. 2 fruit part (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Cooking

    the soft, fleshy part of a fruit or vegetable.

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

    Example

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

    Example

    After simmering the tomatoes, pass them through a sieve to separate the smooth pulp from the tough skins and seeds.
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  1. 3 cheap fiction (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

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

    Teacher's tip

    While 'pulp' refers to the paper quality, it is now almost exclusively used to describe the genre of the stories themselves.
    • sensationalism
    • trashy fiction
  2. 4 to crush into a mass (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical

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

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

    Example

    The recycling centre pulps thousands of books every day.

    Example

    The unsold copies of the novel were eventually pulped to make room in the warehouse for newer releases.
  3. 5 to beat severely (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang Informal

    to hit someone very hard many times.

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

    Example

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

    Example

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

    Usage

    Almost always appears as part of the idiom 'beat to a pulp'.
  4. 6 sensationalist style (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    relating to cheap, exciting stories or magazines.

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

    Example

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

    Example

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

From Middle English pulpe, from Latin pulpa.

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