pulp

pulp — noun

1. the soft, formless matter you get when you crush fruit, vegetables, or other foo

1.nounB1
Definition

the soft, formless matter you get when you crush fruit, vegetables, or other food until they break down completely.

Example

Rania mashed the cooked pumpkin into a soft pulp for the baby's dinner.

crush-into-pulp pattern with food

After the storm, the fallen apples had turned to brown pulp on the ground.

turn to pulp — natural process

Common collocations
  • beat to a pulp
  • crush into a pulp
  • mash to a pulp
  • reduce to a pulp
  • turn to pulp
  • soft pulp
  • wet pulp
Synonyms
  • mush

    softer and less defined texture than pulp, often used for overcooked food

  • paste

    thicker and drier than pulp; used for dough-like mixtures

  • purée

    smoother and more liquid than pulp; made by blending, not just crushing

Antonyms
  • solid

    firm and not crushed

  • chunk

    a piece that still holds its original shape

Grammar Patterns

pulp (singular uncountable)

a pulp (singular countable)

Usage Note

Often used with the verbs 'beat', 'crush', 'mash', or 'turn' followed by 'into' or 'to' a pulp. The singular countable form 'a pulp' is common after these verbs: 'beat to a pulp', 'crush into a pulp'.

Common Mistakes

I made the bananas to pulp.
I mashed the bananas into a pulp.
The structure is 'into a pulp' or 'to a pulp', not just 'to pulp'.

2. a soft, wet mixture of crushed wood, old paper, and plant fibres with water, whi

2.nounB1
Definition

a soft, wet mixture of crushed wood, old paper, and plant fibres with water, which is spread out and dried to make paper or cardboard.

Example

The factory turns recycled newspapers into fresh pulp for making cardboard boxes.

recycled material → pulp → new product

Kofi watched the machine spread the wet wood pulp into a thin, even layer on the wire screen.

Common collocations
  • wood pulp
  • paper pulp
  • pulp mill
  • pulp and paper industry
  • recycled pulp
  • pulp fibre
  • bleached pulp
Synonyms
  • wood pulp

    specifically pulp made from trees, the most common type

  • fibre mash

    technical term for the fibrous mixture before paper is formed

Grammar Patterns

pulp (uncountable)

wood pulp

paper pulp

Usage Note

Almost always uncountable. When specifying the source material, use a noun modifier: 'wood pulp', 'paper pulp', 'cotton pulp'. 'Pulp' in this sense can also refer to the fibre mixture in the paper-making stage before it is dried into sheets.

3. the juicy, edible flesh found inside a fruit, which holds most of the fruit's li

3.nounA2
Definition

the juicy, edible flesh found inside a fruit, which holds most of the fruit's liquid and taste.

Example

Scoop the orange pulp into a bowl and save the peel for candying.

command form: scoop + pulp

Hyun prefers mango juice with lots of pulp because it tastes more like real fruit.

Common collocations
  • fruit pulp
  • orange pulp
  • lemon pulp
  • mango pulp
  • with pulp
  • pulp content
  • pulp and juice
  • scoop out the pulp
Synonyms
  • flesh

    broader term; can refer to the edible part of any fruit or vegetable, not just the soft inner part

  • fruity part

    informal, non-technical way to describe the edible inner section

Antonyms
  • peel

    the tough outer skin of a fruit

  • pith

    the white spongy layer under the skin of citrus fruits

  • seed

    the hard part inside some fruits that you do not eat

Grammar Patterns

the pulp of [fruit]

[fruit] pulp

Usage Note

Distinguish from 'peel' (the outer skin) and 'pith' (the white spongy layer beneath the peel of citrus fruits). 'Pulp' does not include the seeds, though small seeds may naturally be mixed in.

Common Mistakes

I ate the pulp of the banana.
I ate the banana.' or 'The banana was so ripe the pulp was soft and sweet.
We usually just say 'banana' for the whole fruit; 'pulp' is used when separating the soft part from the skin or seeds.

4. the living material located in the centre of a tooth, consisting of nerves and b

4.nounB2
Definition

the living material located in the centre of a tooth, consisting of nerves and blood vessels, that becomes sore when decay reaches it.

Example

The dentist said the cavity had reached the pulp and she would need a root canal treatment.

medical context: cavity reaches pulp → root canal

Anjali felt a sharp pain when cold water touched her tooth because the pulp was inflamed.

Common collocations
  • dental pulp
  • tooth pulp
  • pulp cavity
  • pulp tissue
  • pulp infection
  • pulp damage
  • pulp inflammation
  • root canal
Synonyms
  • dental pulp

    the full formal term for the tissue inside a tooth

  • nerve

    lay term often used instead of 'pulp' by patients, though the pulp contains more than just nerves

Grammar Patterns

the pulp of a tooth

dental pulp

Usage Note

Almost always used with a definite article ('the pulp') or as a noun modifier ('pulp cavity', 'pulp tissue'). Common in dental contexts with 'cavity', 'infection', 'root canal', and 'nerve'. Not used outside dentistry or anatomy.

Common Mistakes

My pulp hurts.
The pulp of my tooth is infected.
'Pulp' without the tooth context sounds like fruit pulp; specify 'tooth pulp' or 'dental pulp'.

5. books and magazines produced on low-cost paper, featuring thrilling but poorly w

5.nounB2
Definition

books and magazines produced on low-cost paper, featuring thrilling but poorly written stories about crime, romance, or adventure.

Example

The detective in Brooke's favourite pulp novel always smoked a pipe and wore a long coat.

attributive: pulp novel / pulp magazine

Pulp magazines from the 1930s sold for a dime and published dozens of crime stories each month.

Common collocations
  • pulp fiction
  • pulp novel
  • pulp magazine
  • pulp writer
  • pulp cover
  • pulp story
  • detective pulp
  • science-fiction pulp
Synonyms
  • trashy novel

    informal, negative tone; implies the story is poorly written

  • dime novel

    historical term for cheap fiction from the late 19th–early 20th century

  • sensational fiction

    broader term focusing on the exciting, shocking content

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

pulp [noun]

pulp novel

pulp magazine

Usage Note

Often used attributively before a noun: 'pulp fiction', 'pulp novel', 'pulp magazine'. The term carries a slightly nostalgic tone today, as the original cheap-print magazines are collectible. 'Pulp fiction' can also refer to the genre of sensational crime writing. The word 'pulp' here comes from the cheap wood-pulp paper these publications were printed on.

Common Mistakes

I read a pulp yesterday.
I read a pulp novel yesterday.
'Pulp' alone is not a countable noun for a single book; use 'pulp novel' or 'pulp magazine'.
Idioms

beat someone to a pulp

idiom

to hit a person repeatedly and very hard, causing serious injury

The gang beat him to a pulp and left him lying in the alley.

Niran threatened to beat the thief to a pulp if he ever came near the shop again.

pulp — verb

Word family

  • pulpy
    adjectiveB2
  • pulpier
    adjective (comparative)B2
  • pulpiest
    adjective (superlative)B2
  • pulped
    adjectiveB1
  • pulping
    nounB2
  • pulper
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Pulp, mush, paste, and purée all describe soft mixtures, but they differ in texture and how they are made. Pulp is the result of crushing or pressing something like fruit or vegetables until it breaks down but still has some coarse texture — think of the inside of an orange after squeezing. Mush is even softer and wetter, often used for overcooked cereal or food that has lost all shape ('the bananas turned to mush'). Paste is thicker and drier, sticking together like dough or wet sand ('mix flour and water into a paste'). Purée is the smoothest of the four, made by blending or sieving until completely liquid and even ('a tomato purée for pasta sauce'). In cooking: you pulp apples for cider, mash potatoes for mash, purée strawberries for a sauce. In non-food contexts, pulp is the only one that also means 'paper-making fibre mixture' and 'tooth tissue'.

mushpaste ↗purée

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pulp and paper
  • pulp and juice
  • pulp industry
  • pulp mill
  • pulp fiction

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'pulp' comes from Latin 'pulpa', meaning 'flesh' or 'the soft part of fruit'. It entered English in the 16th century through French 'pulpe', first used for the soft part of fruit. By the 18th century it had expanded to describe any soft, wet mass, including the fibrous mixture used in paper-making. The sense of 'cheap magazines' dates from the early 20th century, named after the cheap wood-pulp paper they were printed on.