different between chunk vs length

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t????k/
• Rhymes: -??k

Noun

chunk (plural chunks)

1. A part of something that has been separated.

   The statue broke into chunks.
2. A representative portion of a substance, often large and irregular.

   a chunk of granite

3. (linguistics, education) A sequence of two or more words that occur in language with high frequency but are not idiomatic; a bundle or cluster.

   examples of chunks would include "in accordance with", "the results of", and "so far"

4. (computing) A discrete segment of a file, stream, etc. (especially one that represents audiovisual media); a block.
   • 1994, Paul J Perry, Multimedia developer's guide

     The first DWORD of a chunk data in the RIFF chunk is a four character code value identifying the form type of the file.

5. (comedy) A segment of a comedian's performance.

Translations

See also

• piece
• bit
• lump
• chuck
• hunk

Further reading

• chunk in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• chunk in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Verb

chunk (third-person singular simple present chunks, present participle chunking, simple past and past participle chunked)

1. (transitive) To break into large pieces or chunks.
2. (transitive) To break down (language, etc.) into conceptual pieces of manageable size.
3. (transitive, slang, chiefly Southern US) To throw.

Derived terms

• dechunk
• microchunk
• rechunk

English

Etymology

From Middle English lengthe, from Old English lengþu (“longness; length”), from Proto-West Germanic *langiþu, from Proto-Germanic *langiþ?, equivalent to long +? -th. Cognate with Scots lenth, lainth (“length”), Saterland Frisian Loangte (“length”), West Frisian lingte, langte (“length”), Dutch lengte (“length”), German Low German Längde, Längd, Längte, Längt (“length”), Danish længde (“length”), Swedish längd (“length”), Icelandic lengd (“length”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: l?ng(k)th, l?n(t)th, IPA^(key): /l??(k)?/, /l?n(t)?/
• Rhymes: -??k?, -???, -?nt?, -?n?

Noun

length (countable and uncountable, plural lengths)

1. The distance measured along the longest dimension of an object.
2. Duration.
   • 1941, Robert Frost, The Gift Outright

     Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.

3. (horse racing) The length of a horse, used to indicate the distance between horses at the end of a race.
4. (mathematics) Distance between the two ends of a line segment.
5. (cricket) The distance down the pitch that the ball bounces on its way to the batsman.
6. (figuratively) Total extent.

7. Part of something that is long; a physical piece of something.

8. (theater) A unit of script length, comprising 42 lines.
   • 1890, Henry Austin, Address of Henry Austin Before the Second Nationalist Club (page 38)

     […] open your book of the play, which you have previously carefully perused, and at the same time marked with the proper calls, as thus: a length (or 42 lines) before an entrance, with a pen make a figure on the margin, […]

   • 1960, J. L. Hodgkinson, ?Rex Pogson, The Early Manchester Theatre (page 45)

     The boy was engaged to write out parts at a penny a length (42 lines) for Chetwood, who then charged the manager, […]

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

length (third-person singular simple present lengths, present participle lengthing, simple past and past participle lengthed)

1. (obsolete) To lengthen.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, The Passionate Pilgrim, XIV. 30:

     Pack night, peep day; good day, of night now borrow: / Short night, to-night, and length thyself to-morrow.

   • 1552, Richard Huloet, "Ladies of Destinie" in Abecedarium Anglico-Latinum

     Was never man such favour could off atall ladies fynde, To cause them lengthe or shorte the day which they to hym assynde.

   • a. 1608, Thomas Sackville, Allegorical Personages described in Hell

     [He] knows full well life doth but length his pain.