Pulped
The past tense and past participle of the verb 'pulp,' meaning to reduce something to a soft, wet, mushy mass, typically by crushing, grinding, or macerating. This process is commonly applied to organic materials like wood, fruit, or paper, but can also describe the degradation of other materials through similar actions. The resulting 'pulp' is often an intermediate product used for further processing, such as papermaking or creating juices and purees. The term can extend metaphorically to describe the brutalization or emotional shattering of a person or concept, indicating a significant loss of structure and form. The outcome is usually a disintegrated state, unusable in its original condition.
Pulped meaning with examples
- The rejected apples, bruised and overripe, were pulped into a thick, brownish slurry. This process extracted the sugary juice, ready for fermentation into cider. This process, usually a mechanical one, aimed to fully break down the fruit’s cellular structure and release its sweetness efficiently.
- After the accident, the car's metal frame was pulped, twisted beyond recognition. The impact had rendered the vehicle useless, a twisted sculpture of destroyed material, a stark contrast to the beauty the car held just moments earlier. Only scrap remained following the devastating crash.
- The old newspapers were pulped down for recycling to form new cardboard packaging. This process was an effective and efficient way of dealing with mountains of old paper; the broken down state was perfect for re-purposing. Using recycled paper saves trees and conserves resources.
- During the manufacturing process, the wood chips are pulped by a combination of mechanical and chemical processes. This is necessary to remove the lignin and release the cellulose fibres, enabling the creation of paper. This process, done on a large scale, produces many tons of paper daily.
- Her carefully constructed arguments were pulped by his insightful rebuttal, leaving her speechless. Her original point was shattered by his facts; she had to reconsider every single detail she originally used to build her argument.