chunk

UK: /ˈtʃʌŋk/ US: /tʃʌŋk/ ,(chungk)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

chunk¹ /tʃʌŋk/   n. [countable]

1. a thick mass, lump, or piece of anything;
   hunk:
   a chunk of meat.
2. a large or significant amount of something:
   A large chunk of the budget went for defense spending.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

chunk¹  (chungk), n. 

1. a thick mass or lump of anything:
   a chunk of bread; a chunk of firewood.
2. Informal Terms 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.

v.t. 

5. to cut, break, or form into chunks:
   Chunk that wedge of cheese and put the pieces on a plate.
6. to remove a chunk or chunks from (often fol. by out):
   Storms have chunked out the road.

v.i. 

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

• nasalized variant of chuck² 1685–95

Synonyms

• 1. hunk, piece, wad, gob.

chunk²  (chungk), v.t. [South Midland and Southern U.S.]

1. Dialect Terms to toss or throw;
   chuck:
   chunking pebbles at the barn door.
2. Dialect Terms to make or rekindle (a fire) by adding wood, coal, etc., or by stoking (sometimes followed by up).

• perh. nasalized variant of chuck¹ 1825–35, American.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

chunk / tʃʌŋk/ noun

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

Etymology: 17th Century: variant of chuck²