chunk
1 Americannoun
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 byout ).
Storms have chunked out the road.
verb (used without object)
idioms
verb (used with object)
-
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 byup ).
noun
-
a thick solid piece, as of meat, wood, etc
-
a considerable amount
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
There were some legitimate failures here: The federal government had guaranteed $535 million in loans to the company, leaving taxpayers on the hook for a significant chunk of change.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Poster boy Duncan Scott started the rush, defending his 200m individual medley gold from Birmingham four years ago by slicing a chunk off his own Games record.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
There’s a sizable chunk who don’t know how much they owe in student loans or credit-card debt, or the percentage they are paying in interest payments.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Lacy still lives in L.A., though he recorded a chunk of the LP in Paris and has modeled for the luxury line YSL there.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
When the man brought him water he drank eagerly, and later bolted a generous meal of raw meat, chunk by chunk, from the man’s hand.
From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London
AI usage is measured in "tokens", which are small chunks of text that AI systems use to understand, analyse and generate language.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
I also like to stuff my dates with cold chunks of butter, as they amplify the creaminess of the dates and deliciously melt in your mouth with each bite.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
German soldiers specialized in incorporating jagged chunks of shrapnel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
On their way in, crews had to clear debris from multiple floors; aside from chunks of concrete, masonry and flooring, obstacles included a bathroom sink and toilet that had tumbled down from above.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
Soon the chunks would grow and pile up and form one solid mass that would cover the bay for months, making it impassable for ships and shutting down the Port of Churchill for the season.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
