chalk

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a soft white, gray, or buff limestone composed chiefly of the shells of foraminifers
b
: a prepared form of chalk or a material resembling chalk especially when used (as for writing on blackboards) as a crayon
2
a
: a mark made with chalk
b
British : a point scored in a game
chalky adjective

chalk

2 of 2

verb

chalked; chalking; chalks

transitive verb

1
: to write or draw with chalk
2
: to rub or mark with chalk
3
a
: to delineate roughly : sketch
b
: to set down or add up with or as if with chalk : record
usually used with up
chalk up the totals

intransitive verb

: to become chalky
the paint had begun to chalk

Examples of chalk in a Sentence

Noun The teacher handed her a piece of chalk and asked her to write the answer on the chalkboard. He put chalk marks on the stage to show the actors where they should stand. They drew pictures on the sidewalk with colored chalks. Verb She chalked a message on the side of the barn. He chalked the stage to show the actors where they should stand.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
While the surface wipes clean fast, scratches may appear on the chalk side of the table with regular heavy use. Samantha McIntyre, Parents, 9 Mar. 2024 His chalk drawings are almost always very crude, so as not to interfere with the whooshing immediacy of the performance or the nervous allure of the performer. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 And parents needed to set up an Amazon wish list to purchase basic equipment such as balls, jump ropes and chalk for students to use. Christine Wen, The Conversation, 15 Feb. 2024 This jumbo pack includes 20 colors of washable chalk for endless iterations of sidewalk art, hopscotch, or tic-tac-toe. Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2024 Get a measuring tape and mark the distance with tape or a piece of chalk. Leah Groth, Health, 9 Feb. 2024 Other vocabulary was unfamiliar: the chalk outline of a victim (maktul); the black marks of bullet casings (mermi kovanları), grouped together like the dots on a die. Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023 One side is designed for drawing or painting, while the other has a blackboard for chalk creations. Korin Miller, wsj.com, 15 Nov. 2023 The Kids Busy Box is filled with creative, kid-friendly arts and crafts supplies like finger paints, sidewalk chalk, and colored pencils. Mia Taylor, Parents, 14 Feb. 2024
Verb
The drummer chalked it up to building a fan base one show at a time — and never going through the motions. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024 Charles Moran, president of Log Cabin Republicans, the main Republican LGBTQ+ organization, chalked it up to a personality difference between Garvey and his predecessors. Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Many chalked it up as a joke at first, only to Google Gow's name and confirm his firing through news stories. Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2024 Michael Cole chalked it up to Valhalla not wearing antlers. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Indeed, the cops had repeatedly signalled an impulse to chalk the case up as the suicide of a troubled kid. Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 As for that cold spell, head coach Jon Scheyer chalked it up to bad luck. The Courier-Journal, 25 Jan. 2024 Stewart chalks a cue and then leans over the table and breaks. Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2024 Its nature is widely debated; some characterize it as a true decline, while others chalk it up as a plateau or insist there’s no demand problem. Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik, Quartz, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chalk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English cealc, from Latin calc-, calx lime; akin to Greek chalix pebble

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1580, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chalk was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near chalk

Cite this Entry

“Chalk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chalk. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

chalk

1 of 2 noun
1
: a soft white, gray, or buff limestone made up mainly of the shells of tiny saltwater animals and especially foraminifers
2
: chalk or material like chalk especially when used as a crayon
chalky adjective

chalk

2 of 2 verb
1
: to rub, mark, write, or draw with chalk
2
a
: to outline roughly
chalk out a plan of attack
b
: to record or add up with or as if with chalk
chalk up the totals
Etymology

Noun

Old English cealc "chalk," from Latin calc-, calx "lime" — related to calcium

Medical Definition

chalk

noun
: a soft white, gray, or buff limestone composed chiefly of the shells of foraminifers and sometimes used medicinally as a source of calcium carbonate

called also creta

see precipitated chalk, prepared chalk
chalky adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on chalk

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