The paper Chunking mechanisms in human learning describes chunk as:

• a number of pieces of information from the environment into a single unit
• a collection of elements having strong associations with one another, but weak associations with elements within other chunks.

Some examples of chunking are:

• memorizing a long string of numbers by grouping them into smaller sets, such as phone numbers (e.g., 123-456-7890)
• associating the word cat with the mental image of a furry animal with whiskers and a tail.

Related Questions:

Related Topics:

• Learning

References

• Chunking mechanisms in human learning | 2001 | Fernand Gobet, Peter C.R. Lane, Steve Croker, Peter C-H. Cheng, Gary Jones, Iain Oliver and Julian M. Pine