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
Marilyn SternglassA 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
Robert Kanigel
chunked; chunking; chunks
: to make a dull plunging or explosive sound
the rhythmic chunking of thrown quoits—John Updike
John Updike1
: 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
Jonathan K. FosterExamples 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
William Harwood, CBS News, 19 June 2025
Retail sales, which comprise a sizable chunk of overall spending, dropped sharply last month as car purchases plummeted.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 18 June 2025
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
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Noun
The sudden explosion, fueled by ignition of methane propellant, created a huge fireball, billowing clouds of smoke and brilliant arcs of flaming debris shooting out like burning chunks of lava in a volcanic eruption.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 19 June 2025
Retail sales, which comprise a sizable chunk of overall spending, dropped sharply last month as car purchases plummeted.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 18 June 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
Cite this Entry
“Chunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chunk. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
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