chunk

¹

[chuhngk]

noun

1. a thick mass or lump of anything.

   a chunk of bread;

   a chunk of firewood.

   Synonyms: gob, wad, piece, hunk

2. Informal.,  a thick-set and strong person.

3. a strong and stoutly built horse or other animal.

4. a substantial amount of something.

   Rent is a real chunk out of my pay.

verb (used with object)

1. to cut, break, or form into chunks.

   Chunk that wedge of cheese and put the pieces on a plate.

2. to remove a chunk or chunks from (often followed byout ).

   Storms have chunked out the road.

verb (used without object)

1. to form, give off, or disintegrate into chunks.

   My tires have started to chunk.

chunk

²

[chuhngk]

verb (used with object)

South Midland and Southern U.S.

1. to toss or throw; chuck.

   chunking pebbles at the barn door.

2. to make or rekindle (a fire) by adding wood, coal, etc., or by stoking (sometimes followed byup ).

chunk

/ tʃʌŋk /

noun

1. a thick solid piece, as of meat, wood, etc

2. a considerable amount

Word History and Origins

Origin of chunk¹

First recorded in 1685–95; nasalized variant of chuck ²

Origin of chunk²

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; perhaps nasalized variant of chuck ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of chunk¹

C17: variant of _chuck ²

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. blow chunks, to vomit.

Example Sentences

A good chunk of this squad weren't born the last time Scotland played on the grandest stage.

Read more on BBC

A chunk of the ceiling comes down on Tano, but he reduces the rubble to harmless debris with one swing of the akrafena.

Read more on Literature

The cook had followed the recipe to perfection: chunks of tender stew meat simmered with onions, garlic, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and tomatoes, seasoned with caraway and, of course, the paprika.

Read more on Literature

France and to some extent Germany are pressing for Ukraine to use a large chunk of the money to buy European weapons in a bid to drive up weapons supply from Europe’s defense industry.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A heating kettle turns chunks of TNT into a molten form.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• block 
• dollop 
• hunk 
• lump 
• piece 
• portion 
• wad