chunk

[ chuhngk ]

/ tʃʌŋk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR chunk ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a thick mass or lump of anything: a chunk of bread; a chunk of firewood.

Informal. a thick-set and strong person.

a strong and stoutly built horse or other animal.

a substantial amount of something: Rent is a real chunk out of my pay.

verb (used with object)

to cut, break, or form into chunks: Chunk that wedge of cheese and put the pieces on a plate.

to remove a chunk or chunks from (often followed by out): Storms have chunked out the road.

verb (used without object)

to form, give off, or disintegrate into chunks: My tires have started to chunk.

Nearby words

Origin of chunk

First recorded in 1685–95; nasalized variant of chuck²

SYNONYMS FOR chunk

1. hunk, piece, wad, gob.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR chunk ON THESAURUS.COM

chunk

[ chuhngk ]

/ tʃʌŋk /

verb (used with object) South Midland and Southern U.S.

to toss or throw; chuck: chunking pebbles at the barn door.

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

Origin of chunk

1825–35, Americanism; perhaps nasalized variant of chuck¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for chunk

Most scientists who study the Moon think it formed when a huge impact in the early Solar System broke a chunk of Earth off.
The USSR’s Race to the Moon’s Far Side|Matthew R. Francis|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Today, a chunk of the island is owned by Dan Blankenship and his family.
Treasure Hunt to Discover Oak Island’s Mysterious Booty|Nina Strochlic|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Boosting spending and undoing a chunk of the sequester is likely to have a bigger impact on the still-ailing job market.
With the Ryan-Murray Deal, Washington Stops Hurting the Economy|Daniel Gross|December 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
With more episodes on the way, this marks the first time a Netflix Original series is not releasing an entire season in one chunk.
Vin Diesel Pays Tribute to Paul Walker, The Kardashians’ Christmas Card Cost $250K|Culture Team|December 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST

And with each passing month, hybrids account for a larger and larger (albeit still small) chunk of the marketplace.
U.S. Car Fleet Sold in August Most Fuel-Efficient Ever|William O’Connor|September 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Look at that old oak; be a pretty rich tree-toad that owns that chunk of real estate, hey?
Roy Blakeley's Silver Fox Patrol|Percy Keese Fitzhugh
It was set right in the trail and baited with a chunk of pork tied to the muzzle and connected with the trigger by a string.
Bears I Have Met--and Others|Allen Kelly
When a fellow charges through hails of bullets, each singing him a lullaby, he never knows what instant one will come 'chunk!'
Where the Souls of Men are Calling|Credo Harris
We would go down there and steal a chunk when the cooks were not looking and run like hell.
The Biography of a Rabbit|Roy Benson
Every few feet there was a chunk of something on the cord, apparently bait.
The Flying Stingaree|Harold Leland Goodwin

British Dictionary definitions for chunk

chunk

/ (tʃʌŋk) /

noun

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

a considerable amount

Word Origin for chunk

C17: variant of chuck ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for chunk

chunk

"thick block" of something, 1690s, probably a nasalized variant of chuck (n.1) "cut of meat;" meaning "large amount" is 1883, American English.

chunk

"to throw," 1835, American English, from chunk (n.) or by similar mutation from chuck (v.1). Related: Chunked; chunking.

chunk

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

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Nearby words

Origin of chunk

chunk

verb (used with object) South Midland and Southern U.S.

Origin of chunk

Examples from the Web for chunk

chunk

noun

Word Origin for chunk

chunk

chunk