chalk

chalk — noun

1. a soft, light-coloured natural stone that was formed from the shells of tiny sea

1.名詞B2
釋義

a soft, light-coloured natural stone that was formed from the shells of tiny sea creatures over millions of years and is used in making cement and as a writing material

例句

The white cliffs along the southern coast of England are made of chalk.

collocation: chalk cliffs / chalk coast

Farmers sometimes add crushed chalk to their fields to reduce the acidity of the soil.

add crushed chalk to soil

同義詞
  • limestone

    a broader category of sedimentary rock; chalk is a specific soft type of limestone

  • calcite

    the mineral that makes up chalk; used in technical or scientific contexts

2. a short stick of white or coloured material that people rub against a blackboard

2.名詞A2
釋義

a short stick of white or coloured material that people rub against a blackboard or pavement to leave a visible mark

例句

The teacher picked up a piece of chalk and wrote the answer on the blackboard.

piece of chalk

Leila drew a colourful rainbow on the pavement using bright sticks of coloured chalk.

coloured chalk / sticks of chalk

同義詞
  • crayon

    a stick of wax or oil colour used on paper; does not create dust and is not used on blackboards

  • pastel

    a soft, crumbly stick of pigment used for fine-art drawing; richer colours than classroom chalk

用法筆記

When used as a countable noun (a chalk, two chalks), the word refers to individual sticks used for writing. The uncountable use refers to the material in general.

常見錯誤

Please hand me a chalk.
Please hand me a piece of chalk.
💡'Chalk' is uncountable when referring to the material; use 'a piece of chalk' for one stick.

chalk — verb