Pulp
/pʌlp/
nounverbB1
Definition
Pulp is the soft, wet part inside fruits like oranges or tomatoes, which you often see after squeezing or cutting them. It can also mean any soft, wet material made by crushing things like wood or paper. As a verb, to pulp something means to crush it into a soft, wet mass.
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See It in Action
The soft, wet, and often fibrous part inside fruits, vegetables, or plants
- •The orange pulp is full of juice and small bits of fruit.
- •She likes to eat grapefruit with the pulp because it is more natural.
- •After squeezing the lemon, the pulp remained in the hand.
Soft, wet material made by crushing wood, paper, or plants (used to make paper or food products)
- •The factory turns wood into pulp to make paper.
- •Paper pulp is mixed with water before being formed into sheets.
(Verb) To crush or mash something until it becomes soft and wet
- •He pulped the tomatoes to make a smooth sauce.
- •The machine pulps old newspapers for recycling.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "pulp" like "soft part" (A1 word), but specifically the wet, squishy inside of fruits or plants
- ✓Picture cutting an orange and seeing the juicy, soft parts inside that you can squeeze easily
- ✓It's the feeling when you squeeze a ripe tomato and it breaks into a soft, messy juice
- ✓Sounds like "PULP" → imagine a soft sponge full of juice that you can squeeze and it makes a mess
- ✓Remember orange juice with pulp—those little soft bits floating in the drink
- ✓NOT like "skin" (the outside), pulp is the inside soft part
- ✓NOT like "juice" (the liquid only), pulp includes the soft solid parts too
- ✓As a verb, NOT like "cut" (simple action), pulping means crushing very hard until soft and wet
Try Other Words
- •Mash: to crush food into soft pieces (Use when focusing on the action of crushing food)
- •Flesh: the soft part of fruit or meat (Use when emphasizing the edible soft part, not wet or crushed)
- •Puree: to make food smooth by crushing (Use when making very smooth food, often by machine or blender)
- •Mush: soft, wet, and messy substance (Use for general soft, wet material)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "pulp" is a simple root word with no prefix or suffix
- •Etymology: From Latin "pulpa," meaning soft flesh or pulp of fruit
- •Historical development: Used since the 14th century to describe soft parts of fruit or soft material made by crushing
- •Modern usage: Common in food, paper-making, and biology to describe soft, wet parts or crushed material
- •As a verb, it evolved to describe the action of crushing into this soft state
Reflect & Connect
•How does the presence of pulp affect the taste or texture of fruit juices you drink?
•Can you think of other materials besides fruit where the word "pulp" might be used?
Fill in the blanks
1.When you squeeze an orange, the ___ inside is full of juice and small bits.
2.The paper factory uses wood to make ___ before forming new sheets.
3.To make a smooth sauce, you need to ___ the tomatoes until soft.
4.Some people prefer orange juice with ___ because it feels more natural.
5.Unlike juice, pulp contains ___ parts of the fruit that are soft and wet.
6.The machine can ___ old newspapers to recycle them into new paper.
7.After peeling the fruit, the ___ is often left inside and can be eaten or discarded.