{
    "term": "bulk",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "academic": true,
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "the main part of something; most of something",
            "sensetop": "the bulk (of something)",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The bulk of the population lives in cities."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The great bulk of the work has now been done."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["great", "large", "overwhelming"],
                "bulk + noun": ["buying", "order", "purchasing"],
                "preposition": ["in bulk"],
                "phrases": ["the bulk of"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "the (large) size or quantity of something",
            "sensetop": "in bulk",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Despite its bulk and weight, the car is extremely fast."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a **bulk order** *(= one for a large number of similar items)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**bulk buying** *(= buying in large amounts, often at a reduced price)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's cheaper to buy in bulk.",
                    "contextForm": "in bulk"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I was amazed by the sheer bulk of the creature."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Sugar is imported in bulk from the mainland."
                },
                {
                    "text": "bulk mailing rates"
                },
                {
                    "text": "A charge of £2.50 per copy is made for bulk orders."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["considerable", "huge", "massive"],
                "verb + bulk": ["ease", "heave", "shift"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "the weight or shape of somebody/something large",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She heaved her bulk out of the chair."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the looming dark bulk of the cathedral"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["considerable", "huge", "massive"],
                "verb + bulk": ["ease", "heave", "shift"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bʌlk/",
                "audio": "bu/bulk/bulk__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bʌlk/",
                "audio": "bu/bulk/bulk__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: the senses ‘cargo as a whole’ and ‘heap, large quantity’ (the earliest recorded) are probably from Old Norse búlki ‘cargo’; other senses arose perhaps by alteration of obsolete bouk ‘belly, body’."
}