bʌlk n. & v. --n. 1 a size;
magnitude (esp. large). b a
large mass,
body, or
person. c a large
quantity. 2 a large
shape, body, or person (jacket
barely covered
his bulk). 3 (usu. prec. by
the; treated as pl.) the greater
part or
number (the bulk of the applicants are women). 4
roughage. 5 Naut.
cargo,
esp. unpackaged. --v. 1 intr.
seem in
respect of size or
importance (bulks large in his reckoning). 2 tr.
make (a
book, a
textile yarn, etc.) seem thicker by
suitable treatment (bulked it
with irrelevant stories). 3 tr.
combine (consignments etc.). øbreak bulk
begin unloading (cargo). bulk-buying 1 buying in large amounts at a
discount. 2 the
purchase by
one buyer of
all or
most of a producer's
output. in bulk 1 in large quantities. 2 (of a cargo)
loose,
not packaged. [sense 'cargo' f. OIcel. bÇlki;
sense 'mass' etc. perh. alt. f. obs. bouk (cf. BUCK(3))]