chalk

== English == === Alternative forms === chaulk (dated) === Etymology === 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. === Pronunciation === enPR: chôk (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /t͡ʃɔːk/ (Standard Southern British, Australia, New Zealand) IPA(key): /t͡ʃoːk/ (General American, without the cot–caught merger, Scotland) IPA(key): /t͡ʃɔk/ (General American, cot–caught merger, some Canada dialects) IPA(key): /t͡ʃɑk/ (Canada, some US dialects) IPA(key): /t͡ʃɒk/ (non-native speakers' English) IPA(key): /t͡ʃolk/, /t͡ʃalk/ (or similar, with an l sound) Rhymes: -ɔːk Homophone: chock (cot–caught merger) Hyphenation: chalk === Noun === chalk (countable and uncountable, plural chalks) (uncountable) A soft, white, powdery limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO3). (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). (countable) Tailor's chalk. (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). (US, military, countable) A platoon-sized group of airborne soldiers. (US, sports, chiefly basketball, horse racing) The favorite in a sporting event. (US, sports, chiefly basketball) The prediction that there will be no upsets, and the favored competitor will win. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Japanese: チャコ (chako), チョーク (chōku) → Nepali: चक (cak) → Swahili: chaki → Swazi: íshóki → Thai: ชอล์ก (chɔ́k) → Tsonga: choko → Tulu: ಚಾಕ್ (cākŭ) → Ulithian: chooek → Yoruba: ṣọ́ọ̀kì ==== Translations ==== === Verb === chalk (third-person singular simple present chalks, present participle chalking, simple past and past participle chalked) To apply chalk to anything, such as the tip of a billiard cue. To record something, as on a blackboard, using chalk. To use powdered chalk to mark the lines on a playing field. (figurative) To record a score or event, as if on a chalkboard. To manure (land) with chalk. To make white, as if with chalk; to make pale; to bleach. ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === Category:chalk on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons == Middle English == === Alternative forms === calke, chalke, schalk, schalke === Etymology === Inherited from Old English ċealc, from Proto-West Germanic *kalk. For the variation between /t͡ʃ/ and /k/ (originating from Old English dialectal variation), compare chaf, calf, cold; in the latter two cases, the forms with /k/ are more widely distributed. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /t͡ʃalk/ IPA(key): /kalk/ (Northern) Rhymes: -alk === Noun === chalk (uncountable) chalk ==== Descendants ==== English: chalk (see there for further descendants); cauk, cawk Scots: cauk, cawk ==== References ====