What does "chunk" mean?

1. (a thick piece) a thick, solid, and often irregular piece of something. 2. (a large amount) a large part or amount of something, like time or money. 3. (language/memory unit) a group of words or information that you learn as one unit. 4. (computing data block) a small piece of data sent or stored as one unit. 5. (to break into pieces) to break something into thick pieces or groups.

chunk

n. · v.

US //ˈtʃəŋk// UK //tʃˈʌŋk// chunk

1 a thick piece (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a thick, solid, and often irregular piece of something.

a thick, solid, and typically irregularly shaped piece of a substance.

Example

He cut a large chunk of cheese to put in his sandwich.

Example

The excavator unearthed a massive chunk of granite that had been buried several metres below the surface.
- sliver
- shaving
2 a large amount (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

a large part or amount of something, like time or money.

a significant or substantial portion of a non-physical entity, such as time, finance, or a task.

Example

I spent a big chunk of my weekend cleaning the garage.

Example

The unexpected repairs consumed a significant chunk of the annual maintenance budget before the second quarter had even ended.
- fraction
- bit

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3 language/memory unit (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic Technical Linguistics

a group of words or information that you learn as one unit.

a unit of information or language consisting of several components that are processed or remembered as a single entity.

Example

Learning phrases like 'by the way' as a single chunk helps you speak more naturally.

Example

Cognitive load theory suggests that learners can process complex information more effectively when it is presented in manageable chunks.
- collocation
- block
4 computing data block (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

a small piece of data sent or stored as one unit.

a discrete segment of a file or data stream, particularly in audiovisual media or memory management.

Example

The video file was divided into small chunks for faster streaming.

Example

The server transmits the metadata in an initial chunk before the primary data stream begins.
- segment
- packet
5 to break into pieces (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to break something into thick pieces or groups.

to divide or break something into large, discrete segments or pieces.

Example

You should chunk the text into smaller parts to make it easier to read.

Example

The software automatically chunks the raw data into logical categories based on the timestamps provided.
- combine
- merge

Origin

Variant of chuck; or alternatively a diminutive of chump (“chunk; block”) + *-k (diminutive suffix) (compare hunk from hump, etc.). Also compare Dutch schonk.

Word family

Nounchunk
Adjectivechunky