chunk
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a thick, solid, and often irregular piece of something.
n.a thick, solid, and typically irregularly shaped piece of a substance.
Simple“He cut a large chunk of cheese to put in his sandwich.”
In context“The excavator unearthed a massive chunk of granite that had been buried several metres below the surface.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a large part or amount of something, like time or money.
n.a significant or substantial portion of a non-physical entity, such as time, finance, or a task.
Simple“I spent a big chunk of my weekend cleaning the garage.”
In context“The unexpected repairs consumed a significant chunk of the annual maintenance budget before the second quarter had even ended.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a group of words or information that you learn as one unit.
n.a unit of information or language consisting of several components that are processed or remembered as a single entity.
Simple“Learning phrases like 'by the way' as a single chunk helps you speak more naturally.”
In context“Cognitive load theory suggests that learners can process complex information more effectively when it is presented in manageable chunks.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
n.a small piece of data sent or stored as one unit.
n.a discrete segment of a file or data stream, particularly in audiovisual media or memory management.
Simple“The video file was divided into small chunks for faster streaming.”
In context“The server transmits the metadata in an initial chunk before the primary data stream begins.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to break something into thick pieces or groups.
v.to divide or break something into large, discrete segments or pieces.
Simple“You should chunk the text into smaller parts to make it easier to read.”
In context“The software automatically chunks the raw data into logical categories based on the timestamps provided.”
Usage chunks of concrete
“However, the reason Clarke's exit felt natural for many is that a hefty chunk of fans want to see a change of approach.”
“In her daughter’s bedroom, metal rebar hangs from the ceiling, while jagged chunks of concrete and brick threaten to tumble to the floor at any moment.”
Variant of chuck; or alternatively a diminutive of chump (“chunk; block”) + *-k (diminutive suffix) (compare hunk from hump, etc.). Also compare Dutch schonk.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.