chunk

Definition

A part of something that has been separated; a generally squat, thick, irregular piece of something, e.g. wood or stone.

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

• "The statue broke into chunks."
• "a chunk of granite"
• "Daylight, between mouthfuls, fed chunks of ice into the tin pot, where it thawed into water. […] Daylight cut up generous chunks of bacon and dropped them in the pot of bubbling beans."