chalk

See also: Chalk

English
Colourful chalk used for writing or drawing

Alternative forms

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

Noun

chalk (countable and uncountable, plural chalks)

  1. (uncountable) A soft, white, powdery limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO3).
    chalk cliffs are not recommended for climbing
  2. (countable) A piece of chalk, or nowadays processed compressed gypsum (calcium sulfate, CaSO4), that is used for drawing and for writing on a blackboard (chalkboard).
    the chalk used to write on the blackboard makes a squeaky sound
  3. Tailor's chalk.
  4. (uncountable, climbing, gymnastics) 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).
    when working out your next move, it's a good idea to get some more chalk from the bag
  5. (US, military, countable) A platoon-sized group of airborne soldiers.
  6. (US, sports, chiefly basketball, horse racing) The favorite in a sporting event.
  7. (US, sports, chiefly basketball) The prediction that there will be no upsets, and the favored competitor will win.
    • 1982 March 22, Phil Musick, “And the pick here is - Georgetown over Houston”, in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‎, page 13:
      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.
    • 1995 April 6, “Notes on a Scorecard”, in Los Angeles Times‎, page C3:
      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.
    • 2008 March 24, Jason Bauman, “Non-news of the week: Obama picks North Carolina”, in Beacon-News‎, Aurora, Illinois:
      Instead, he played the chalk and selected the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations
tailor's chalk — see tailor's chalk
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb

chalk (third-person singular simple present chalks, present participle chalking, simple past and past participle chalked)

  1. To apply chalk to anything, such as the tip of a billiard cue.
    chalk your hands before climbing
    • 1944 January and February, Major J. C. F. Lloyd Williamson, “Ambulance Trains in Algeria and Tunisia”, in Railway Magazine, page 6:
      After a leg stretch, we set off again at 11:30 hours in charge of U.S.A. No. 1736 (Miss Ohio had been chalked on her), a 2-8-0 utility engine.
  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.
    • 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], 2nd edition, London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], published 1708, →OCLC:
      Land that is chalked
    • 1821, Royal Society of Arts (Great Britain), Transactions, volume 39, page 11:
      I then chalked the land at an expense of 4l. per acre, and planted potatoes, about ten bushels to the acre […]
  6. To make white, as if with chalk; to make pale; to bleach.

Derived terms

Further reading

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old English cealc, from Proto-West Germanic *kalk.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /t͡ʃalk/
  • (Northern) IPA(key): /kalk/
  • Rhymes: -alk

Noun

chalk (uncountable)

  1. chalk

Descendants

References
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