Chalk

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /tʃɔːk/
• US enPR: chôk, IPA: /tʃɔk/
• cot-caught IPA: /tʃɑk/
• Rhymes: -ɔːk

Alternative forms

• chaulk dated

Origin

From Old English cealc, borrowed from Latin calx ("limestone"), borrowed from Ancient Greek χάλιξ (khaliks, "pebble")

Full definition of chalk

Noun

1. (uncountable) A soft, white, powdery limestone.
2. (countable) A piece of chalk, or, more often, processed compressed chalk, that is used for drawing and for writing on a blackboard.
3. Tailor's chalk.
4. (uncountable, climbing) A white powdery substance used to prevent hands slipping from holds when climbing, sometimes but not always limestone-chalk.
5. (US, military, countable) A platoon-sized group of airborne soldiers.
6. (US, sports, chiefly basketball) The prediction that there will be no upsets, and the favored competitor will win.
• OK, let's get rid of the chalk players right away. The chalk likes North Carolina. Dean Smith has taken Carolina to the Final Four six times.
• Excuse us for sticking with the chalk, but the predicted winners are Afternoon Deelites in the Derby, Oliver McCall over Larry Holmes, Nick Faldo in the Masters, and Al Unser Jr. in the Grand Prix.
• Instead, he played the chalk and selected the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.

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. (figuratively) 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.
• HerbertLet a bleak paleness chalk the door.

Derived terms

• chalk up to
• chalky
• different as chalk and cheese
• chalk line
• by a long chalk

Related terms

• calcium
• calx
• chalkboard