chalk

chalk is part of the Basic English 850.

Other spellings

• chaulk (UK)

Pronunciation

• enPR: chôk
• (UK) IPA: /ʧɔːk/, SAMPA: /tSO:k/
• (US) IPA: /ʧɑk/, SAMPA: /tSAk/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

Noun

Singular chalk

Plural chalks

Pieces of chalk

1. (uncountable) a soft, white, powder-like limestone

   The men mine chalk in the hills near my house.

2. (countable) a piece of chalk, or more usually, processed compressed chalk, that is used for drawing and for writing on a blackboard; teachers at school may use chalk to write on a blackboard

   John wrote his name on the blackboard with chalk.

   There are many pieces of chalk on the floor.

   The shop at the corner of the street sells many chalks.

Verb

Plain form chalk

Third-person singular chalks

Past tense chalked

Past participle chalked

Present participle chalking

1. To put chalk on something, such as the tip of a billiards cue.
2. To write something using chalk; this is often done on a blackboard.
3. To use powdered chalk to put the lines on a sports field.

Related words and phrases

• chalk up to
• chalky