Advertisement

hunk (n.1)

1813, "large piece cut off," of uncertain origin; according to OED "not frequent in literature before 1850." Possibly from West Flemish hunke (used of bread and meat), which is perhaps related to Dutch homp "lump, hump" (see hump (n.)). Meaning "attractive, sexually appealing man" is first attested 1945 in jive talk (in Australian slang, it is recorded from 1941).

hunk (n.2)

disparaging U.S. slang term for "immigrant laborer from central or Eastern Europe," 1896, probably ultimately a shortening of Hungarian, though the name was applied as well to Lithuanians, Poles, South Slavs, etc.

Others are reading

Advertisement
Definitions of hunk from WordNet

hunk (n.)
a well-built sexually attractive man;
hunk (n.)
a large piece of something without definite shape;
a hunk of bread
Synonyms: lump
From wordnet.princeton.edu