chunk

noun

\ ˈchəŋk

Definition of chunk

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

verb

chunked; chunking; chunks

Definition of chunk (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to make a dull plunging or explosive sound the rhythmic chunking of thrown quoits— John 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

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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: Noun

Participants also revealed that an even larger chunk (14 percent) claims to have made lasting friendships with a fellow passenger, while a similar amount (16 percent) had made business contacts. — Michael Bartiromo, Fox News, "1 in 50 airline passengers finds true love on a flight, survey finds," 30 Aug. 2018 Adding to the challenges of making time for that is the fact that Clemens spends a good chunk of his time in China, working on production of his collections. — Mark Holgate, Vogue, "Telfar Relaunches His Shopping Bag With a Stunning Photo Series of His Close Friends and Collaborators," 6 Aug. 2018 Opt for plump chunks, not those withering in their own skin. — Sharon Tregaskis, Good Housekeeping, "The Easiest Way to Grow Ginger at Home," 29 July 2018 Fans of oddly shaped chunks of delicious chicken should probably check their fridges and freezers. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "Two Brands of Chicken Nuggets Were Recalled This Week," 30 Jan. 2019 That means obvious choices like chunks of watermelon, strawberries, sliced cucumber, and celery, all of which make ideal work snacks. — Vogue, "The Biggest Beauty Vice Is Not What You Think," 13 Jan. 2019 As the GND brand spreads, traditional advocacy and policy groups are likely to break off more manageable chunks under the same rubric. — David Roberts, Vox, "The Green New Deal, explained," 21 Dec. 2018 Kevin Hoffer was driving underneath an overpass when chunks of snow and ice displaced from a plow truck crashed onto his SUV's windshield. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "This Terrifying Viral Video Shows Falling Snow Shatter a Driver's Windshield," 5 Dec. 2018 Steve has focused more on raising what is now $2,700 chunks. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "Full Q&A: RevUp CEO Steve Spinner on Recode Decode," 12 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Clearly flustered, Spieth then chunked his third shot from the drop area into the water again. — Daniel Rapaport, SI.com, "Best Masters Memories From the Past 20 Years: No. 5 - Spieth's Implosion at 12," 31 Mar. 2018 One particular motif has Camille driving around town, chunking the same Led Zeppelin tape into her car stereo. — James Poniewozik, New York Times, "‘Sharp Objects,’ a Mesmerizing Southern Thriller, Cuts Slow but Deep," 5 July 2018 But the software can chunk them together in various ways to make possible letters. — Sam Kean, The Atlantic, "Artificial Intelligence Is Unlocking the Vatican's Secret Archives," 30 Apr. 2018 The tree chunks Answer Man has seen have mostly been on telecommunications lines, which Jamerson said Pepco’s crews don’t touch. — John Kelly, Washington Post, "Ever noticed chunks of trees on utility pole wires? What’s up with that?," 2 July 2018 Cruise boats take day trips to some of Southcentral Alaska's biggest and brightest glaciers, which send chunks the size of cars into the water with dramatic splashes. — Josh Niva, Anchorage Daily News, "Getting your outdoor adventure fix in Southcentral Alaska," 2 May 2018 Top those with the protein (could be chunked or whole filet). — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit, "Ponzu Roasted Salmon for Two," 19 Mar. 2018 The skewers of pork belly were another beer cuisine winner, the tender chunks glazed in a sweet dark reduction of the colonial-theme spruce ale. — Craig Laban, Philly.com, "Yards brewery is better, not just bigger, with move and ambitious new taproom," 23 Mar. 2018 But the conditions were deteriorating as snow that had warmed and melted during the day began to freeze into chunks the size of small hailstones. — Elliott D. Woods, Outside Online, "How Mike Foote Set an Obscure 24-Hour Skiing Record," 20 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chunk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.