pulp

Pulp is a term with several meanings across different fields. In everyday usage, it can refer to a soft, moist mass or paste, as well as to materials used in manufacturing, food, and culture.

In papermaking, pulp is a fibrous suspension derived from wood or other plant sources. It is produced by chemical or mechanical processing and then refined, bleached or colored to make paper and cardboard. Pulp mills may specialize in mechanical, chemical, or mixed processes, and the properties of the final paper depend on the fiber source and processing method.

In food, fruit pulp is the soft, fibrous interior of a fruit, often containing juice and sugars. It is used directly in products such as juice, smoothies, jams, and baby foods, or separated for processing and clarification.

In literature, pulp fiction refers to inexpensive, sensational crime and adventure stories published in mid-20th-century magazines. The term has come to denote brisk, plot-driven fiction that prioritizes action over literary style, and it helped shape popular genres such as crime, noir, and pulp magazines.

In dentistry, dental pulp is the soft connective tissue inside a tooth, containing nerves and blood vessels. It can become inflamed or infected, sometimes requiring procedures such as a root canal to preserve the tooth or relieve pain.

In music and culture, Pulp is a British rock band formed in 1978, known for the 1995 album Different Class and the single Common People. The band contributed to the prominent Britpop movement of the 1990s and remains a reference in alternative rock.