chalk
English
/t͡ʃɔːk/, /t͡ʃɔk/, /t͡ʃɑk/
noun
Definitions
- (uncountable) A soft, white, powdery limestone.
- (countable) A piece of chalk, or nowadays processed compressed gypsum, that is used for drawing and for writing on a blackboard.
- tailor's Tailor's chalk.
- (uncountable) A white powdery substance used to prevent hands slipping from holds when climbing, sometimes but not always limestone-chalk.
- (US) A platoon-sized group of airborne soldiers.
- (US) The favorite in a sporting event.
- (US) The prediction that there will be no upsets, and the favored competitor will win.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English chalk derived from Old English cealc (chalk) derived from Latin calx (heel, limestone, lime, pebble, chalk, game counter, mortar) derived from Ancient Greek χάλιξ (pebble).
Origin
Ancient Greek
χάλιξ
Gloss
pebble
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- Chelsea English
- bechalk English
- board English
- brood English
- calcite English
- calcium English
- calx English
- chalkable English
- chalkboard English
- chalkbrood English
- chalkdust English
- chalken English
- chalkily English
- chalkiness English
- chalkland English
- chalkless English
- chalklike English
- chalkpit English
- chalkstone English
- chalky English
- chrysochalk English
- dust English
- land English
- nitrochalk English
- nonchalky English
- pit English
- rechalk English
- stone English
- war English
- warchalk English
- warchalker English
- *calcestris Latin
- *calciāta Latin
- *calcīna Latin
- *incalciāre Latin
- calcareus Latin
- calcariensis Latin
- calcarius Latin
- calcatrippa Latin
- calceus Latin
- calceāta Latin
- calcium Latin
- calcivorus Latin
- calco Latin
- calculo, calculō, calculāre Latin
- calculus Latin
- calculāre Latin
- caliga Latin
- cals Latin
- calx Latin
- calx, calcis Latin
- incalciō, incalcio, incalciāre Latin
- Kalk German
- scalciare Italian
- ка́льций Russian
- caliche Spanish, Castilian
- χάλιξ Ancient Greek
- kalk Norwegian Bokmål
- kalsitt Norwegian Bokmål
- チョーク Japanese
- kalk Norwegian Nynorsk
- kalsitt Norwegian Nynorsk
- cealc Old English
- chalk Middle English
- schalk Middle English
- schalke Middle English
- kalk Danish
- اَل Arabic
- kalk Icelandic
- coucillón Galician
- ชอล์ก Thai
- calc Old High German
- kalk Old High German
- cailc Old Irish
- *kalk Old Dutch
- kalk Middle Low German
- chaki Swahili
- ishoki Swati
- ܟܠܫܐ Classical Syriac
- चक Nepali
- ಚಾಕ್ Tulu