pulp

pulp [pulp]

n.

[Fr pulpe < L pulpa, flesh, pulp of fruit]

1. a soft, moist, formless mass that sticks together

2. the soft, juicy part of a fruit

3. the pith inside the stem of a plant

4. the soft, sensitive tissue in the center of a tooth, including blood vessels, nerves, etc.: see TOOTH

5. a mixture of ground-up, moistened cellulose material, as wood, linen, rags, etc., from which paper is made

6. ore ground to a powder and mixed with water

☆ 7. a magazine printed on rough, inferior paper stock made from wood pulp, usually containing sensational stories of love, crime, etc.: cf. SLICK (n. 3)

adj.

☆ of or characteristic of pulp magazines

vt.

1. to reduce to pulp

2. to remove the pulp from

vi.

to become pulp

pulpal

adj.