chunk

1 of 2

noun

1
: a short thick piece or lump (as of wood or coal)
2
: a large noteworthy quantity or part
bet a sizable chunk of money on the race
3
: a strong thickset horse usually smaller than a draft horse
4
psychology : a unit of information retained in the memory and easily recalled
The process of memorizing may be simply the formation of chunks, or groups of items that go together, until there are few enough chunks so that we can recall all the items.Marilyn Sternglass
A chunk represents a recoding of information. For example, the sequence 149217761941 would, for most of us, be a snap to remember. Almost automatically we'd recode the 12 digits into three chunks, 1492, 1776, 1941, all key dates in US history.Robert Kanigel

chunk

2 of 2

verb

chunked; chunking; chunks

intransitive verb

: to make a dull plunging or explosive sound
the rhythmic chunking of thrown quoitsJohn Updike

transitive verb

1
: to mishit (a golf ball or shot) by striking the ground behind the ball
2
psychology : to organize (separate units of information) into a single large unit that is retained in the memory and easily recalled
To recall a 10-digit telephone number, for instance, a person could chunk the digits into three groups: the area code (such as 021), then a three-digit chunk (639) and a four-digit chunk (4345).Jonathan K. Foster

Examples of chunk in a Sentence

Noun She cut the fruit into large chunks. She spends a good chunk of her day on the phone. He devoted a large chunk of time to the project.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Meanwhile, Noss estimates that 85 percent of species could be saved by simply protecting a sufficiently large chunk of each type of American ecosystem. Emma Marris, The Atlantic, 25 May 2025 As for rain, a large chunk of the middle part of the country will see wet, potentially stormy weather this weekend as a system moves through the Plains. Doyle Rice, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Verb
Instead of ingesting cells in such a way that will kill them, this parasite bites chunks off the cells and leaves them wounded. Jay Kakade may 24, New Atlas, 24 May 2025 Pineapple Casserole Ingredients Canned pineapple: Some of our readers use chunked, crushed, or a mix of both. Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chunk

Word History

Etymology

Noun

perhaps alteration of chuck short piece of wood

Verb

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1890, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of chunk was in 1691

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Cite this Entry

“Chunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chunk. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

chunk

noun
ˈchəŋk
1
: a short thick piece or lump
2
: a large amount or part
a chunk of money

More from Merriam-Webster on chunk

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