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

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about chunk

Keep scrolling for more

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

Despite occupying a promising timeslot behind The Voice in its first season, Timeless routinely lost a huge chunk of the reality show’s lead-in viewership. — Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "Why more TV shows should do year-end Christmas specials," 23 Dec. 2018 Videos in particular take up a huge chunk of any Cloud storage. — Alexander George, Popular Mechanics, "The Smart Way to Organize and Back Up Your Photos," 2 Nov. 2018 On November 27, Paris auction house Artcurial is selling a 24-step chunk of the tower’s original staircase. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Want a piece of the Eiffel Tower? That’ll cost you $45K," 14 Nov. 2018 In this case, your employer also takes on responsibility for a significant chunk of the costs of your health care. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "Heads Up: You Can Still Sign Up for Obamacare and Open Enrollment Is Going On Right Now," 14 Nov. 2018 The cup feels substantial, a solid chunk of matter firmly in contact with the skin of your hand. — Tim Folger, Discover Magazine, "How Quantum Mechanics Lets Us See, Smell and Touch," 24 Oct. 2018 Though he's presumably done lots of touring for many years now, Gaffigan turns to foreign travel for a chunk of this set's material, focusing on differing social mores in Japan and England. — John Defore, The Hollywood Reporter, "' Jim Gaffigan: Noble Ape': Film Review," 12 July 2018 That helped the Cubs erase a chunk of a 4-0 deficit after the first. — Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "Kris Bryant, Javier Baez hit HRs, Cubs-Giants tied at 4 in 12th," 11 July 2018 On Saturday there were large sections of empty seats at Centre Court, normally a hot ticket, and Bobby Charlton, hero of that 1966 team, disappeared from the royal box for a chunk of time while England was building its two-goal lead. — Sam Farmer, latimes.com, "England riding high on World Cup success as Wimbledon also creates a racket," 11 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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 For the last eleven years, everyone’s favorite purveyor of scattered, smothered, covered, and chunked hash browns transforms from a beloved greasy spoon to a fine dining establishment brimming with romance. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, "Waffle House Is Pulling Out The White Tablecloths and Flowers for Valentine’s Day Again," 7 Feb. 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.