English Explanatory Dictionary

chalk

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A soft, white, powdery limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO₃).
  2. A piece of chalk, or nowadays processed compressed gypsum (calcium sulfate, CaSO₄), that is used for drawing and for writing on a blackboard (chalkboard).
  3. Tailor's chalk.
  4. A white powdery substance used to prevent hands slipping from holds when climbing, or losing grip in weight-lifting or gymnastics, sometimes but not always limestone-chalk, often magnesium carbonate (MgCO₃).
  5. A platoon-sized group of airborne soldiers.
  6. The favorite in a sporting event.
  7. The prediction that there will be no upsets, and the favored competitor will win.
verb
  1. To apply chalk to anything, such as the tip of a billiard cue.
  2. To record something, as on a blackboard, using chalk.
  3. To use powdered chalk to mark the lines on a playing field.
  4. To record a score or event, as if on a chalkboard.
  5. To manure (land) with chalk.
  6. To make white, as if with chalk; to make pale; to bleach.
name
  1. A surname.
  2. A suburban village attached to the east side of Gravesend, Gravesham borough, Kent, England (OS grid ref TQ6773).

Pronunciation

chôk /t͡ʃɔːk/ /t͡ʃoːk/ /t͡ʃɔk/ /t͡ʃɑk/ /t͡ʃɒk/ /t͡ʃolk/ /t͡ʃalk/ en-us-chalk.ogg

Word forms

chalk chalks chaulk chalking chalked

Etymology

Etymology tree Pre-Greekbor.? Ancient Greek χᾰ́λῐξ (khắlĭx)bor.? substratebor.? Latin calxbor. Proto-West Germanic *kalk Old English ċealc Middle English chalk English chalk Inherited from Middle English chalk, chalke, from Old English ċealc, from Proto-West Germanic *kalk, borrowed from Latin calx (“limestone”), again borrowed from Ancient Greek χάλιξ (khálix, “pebble”). Doublet of calx and cauk.

Related words

calcium calx

Derived words

ball of chalk bechalk black chalk Briançon chalk by a long chalk calabash chalk chalkable chalk and cheese chalk and talk chalk bag chalk bass chalkboard chalk box chalkbrood chalkdust chalk eater chalk-eating weasel chalken chalker Chalk Farm chalk fish chalk for cheese chalk full chalkland chalkless chalk lettuce chalklike chalk line chalk maple chalk mixture chalkpit chalk player chalkstone chalk stream chalk talk chalkware chalk-white chalky chrysochalk different as chalk and cheese French chalk gym chalk gymnastics chalk hair chalk hand chalk lifting chalk nitrochalk pavement chalk rechalk red chalk sidewalk chalk Spanish chalk walk the chalk walk the chalk line walk the chalk mark warchalk weightlifting chalk chalk against chalk down chalk it down
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