break-bulk

adjective

Of cargo: heterogeneous in size, shape, and handling requirements; neither bulk nor containerized.

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Meanings

adjectivebreak-bulk (not comparable)
  1. not comparableOf cargo: heterogeneous in size, shape, and handling requirements; neither bulk nor containerized.

    Break-bulk cargo is characterized by its multiplicity and diversity. […] In break-bulk service, a cargo ship might carry barrels of cooking oil, ... cartons..., bales ..., bags ..., and so on.

    2006, Brian J. Cudahy, Box Boats: How Container Ships Changed the World, page 9
nounbreak-bulk (plural break-bulks)

plural break-bulks

  1. A ship that carries cargo in miscellaneous small containers.
Cite this entry
APA

break-bulk. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break-bulk

MLA

“break-bulk.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break-bulk. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “break-bulk,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break-bulk.

Source: break-bulk on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.