Meaning & use
chunks
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“chunks” is a form of “chunk”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Thick, solid pieces cut or broken from something larger.
Grammar: Plural of chunk: chunks of cheese. The singular is a chunk of cheese.
Patterns
- chunks of something
- cut something into chunks
She cut the pineapple into bite-sized chunks.
Chunks of ice floated down the river.
The soup had big chunks of potato and carrot.
nounpluralinformal
Large parts or sections of something, such as time, money or text.
Grammar: Often followed by of: chunks of time. Informal when talking about big amounts.
Patterns
- chunks of something
- in chunks
She spent big chunks of the summer reading.
Large chunks of the budget go to salaries.
Break the essay into manageable chunks to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
nounpluraltechnical
Groups of words that are learned and used together as one unit in a language.
Grammar: Used in language teaching: learners store phrases as chunks.
Patterns
- learn language in chunks
Fluent speakers rely on ready-made chunks such as as a matter of fact.
The teacher asked us to memorize useful chunks rather than single words.
Chunks help learners speak more smoothly and naturally.
Word forms
| singular | chunk |
|---|
Common combinations
- chunks of meat
- The stew was full of tender chunks of meat.
- in bite-sized chunks
- The manual explains the process in bite-sized chunks.
- large chunks of time
- He sets aside large chunks of time for deep work.
- chunks of data
- The software sends chunks of data to the server.
- break into chunks
- Break the task into smaller chunks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lumps
- Lumps are shapeless solid masses, and they may be unwelcome, as in lumps in a sauce, while chunks are usually deliberately cut pieces.
- pieces
- Pieces is more general and can be thin or small, whereas chunks suggests thick, substantial portions.
- portions
- Portions are amounts served or shared, while chunks are physical or conceptual parts of a whole.
- slabs
- Slabs are large flat thick pieces, and chunks are rounder or irregular.
Word family
Commonly confused: chunks or chunk?
chunks vs chunk
Chunk is the singular. Say a chunk of cheese but chunks of cheese when there are several.
Practice
Which is the best way to describe thick pieces of fruit in a salad?
Choose one answer.
Chunks of fruit uses the plural noun with of. The other choices have missing words or the wrong article and number.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “chunks”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.