chalk

Universal Words noun, verb noun [U] 1 a type of soft white stone: the chalk cliffs of southern England 2 (also chalks [pl.]) a substance similar to chalk made into white or coloured sticks for writing or drawing: a piece / stick of chalk * drawing diagrams with chalk on the blackboard * a box of coloured chalks IDIOMS chalk and cheese (BrE) if two people or things are like chalk and cheese or as different as chalk and cheese, they are completely different from each other: Frank and I will never get along. We're chalk and cheese. moreatLONGadj. verb [VN] ~ sth (up) (on sth) to write or draw sth with chalk: She chalked (up) the day's menu on the board. * A message was chalked on the door-'Back at 11 o'clock.' * a chalked outline of a human body * The scores were chalked up on the wall. IDIOMS chalk it up to experience (spoken, especially AmE) used to say that you should think of a failure as being sth that you can learn from PHRASALVERBS chalk up sth (informal) to achieve or record a success, points in a game, etc: The team chalked up their tenth win this season. * As a Hollywood actor he has chalked up a number of box-office successes. * They will have chalked up 40 years of marriage this summer. chalk sth up to sth (AmE, informal) to consider that sth is caused by sth: We can chalk that win up to a lot of luck.