What does "bulk" mean?

Bulk: The main mass or body; the largest or principal portion; the majority; as, the bulk of a debt. The bulk of the people must labor, Burke told them, "to obtain what by labor can be obtained." J. Morley.

Additional senses

2.(Naut.) The cargo of a vessel when stowed.
3.The body. [Obs.] Shak. My liver leaped within my bulk. Turbervile. Barrel bulk. See under Barrel. -- To break bulk (Naut.), to begin to unload or more the cargo. -- In bulk, in a mass; loose; not inclosed in separate packages or divided into separate parts; in such shape that any desired quantity may be taken or sold. -- Laden in bulk, Stowed in bulk, having the cargo loose in the hold or not inclosed in boxes, bales, or casks. -- Sale by bulk, a sale of goods as they are, without weight or measure.
4.To appear or seem to be, as to bulk or extent; to swell. The fame of Warburton possibly bulked larger for the moment. Leslie Stephen.
5.A projecting part of a building. [Obs.] Here, stand behind this bulk. Shak.

Sources

Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00