Definition of bulk out

The phrase "bulk out" is a phrasal verb that originated in the 1800s in the British English dialect. It refers to the action of adding volume or mass to a substance or product without significantly altering its weight or density. Its roots can be traced back to the shipping industry, where it was commonly used to describe filling a container with additional cargo in order to reduce the transportation costs per unit. This practice, known as "bulking," allowed merchants to "bulk out" their goods and make the most efficient use of available storage space. The term soon spread beyond the commercial context and found its way into everyday language, where it is now used in a variety of contexts, from cooking and baking to industrial processes and packaging. In the context of cooking or baking, "bulk out" is often used to describe the action of adding less expensive or nutritionally less valuable ingredients to a recipe in order to stretch it further, reduce costs, or modify its texture or appearance. For example, bread dough may be "bulked out" with water, while soup broth is sometimes "bulked out" with vegetables or grains. In the context of industrial processes, "bulk out" is often used to describe the process of adding a filler substance to a product in order to modify its volume or density, without altering its performance or price point. Some examples of "bulk out" ingredients in industrial processes include cellulose, starch, and talc. Irrespective of the context, the action of "bulk out" remains the same, namely, adding volume or mass to a substance without significantly altering its other properties.