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What is the difference between chalk and slate?

chalk | slate |

In uncountable terms the difference between chalk and slate

is that chalk is a soft, white, powdery limestone while slate is the bluish-grey colour of most slate.

In countable terms the difference between chalk and slate

is that chalk is a piece of chalk, or, more often, processed compressed chalk, that is used for drawing and for writing on a blackboard while slate is a list of affiliated candidates for an election.

As an adjective slate is

having the bluish-grey/gray colour/color of slate.

chalk

English

Alternative forms

* chaulk (dated)

Noun

  • (uncountable) A soft, white, powdery limestone.
  • (countable) A piece of chalk, or, more often, processed compressed chalk, that is used for drawing and for writing on a blackboard.
  • Tailor's chalk.
  • (uncountable, climbing) A white powdery substance used to prevent hands slipping from holds when climbing, sometimes but not always limestone-chalk.
  • (US, military, countable) A platoon-sized group of airborne soldiers.
  • (US, sports, chiefly, basketball) The prediction that there will be no upsets, and the favored competitor will win.
  • * {{quote-news, 1982, March 22, Phil Musick, And the pick here is - Georgetown over Houston, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette citation
    • , passage=OK, let's get rid of the chalk' players right away. The ' chalk likes North Carolina. Dean Smith has taken Carolina to the Final Four six times.}}
  • * {{quote-news, 1995, April 6, , Notes on a Scorecard, Los Angeles Times citation
    • , passage=Excuse us for sticking with the chalk , but the predicted winners are Afternoon Deelites in the Derby, Oliver McCall over Larry Holmes, Nick Faldo in the Masters, and Al Unser Jr. in the Grand Prix.}}
  • * {{quote-news, 2008, March 24, Jason Bauman, Non-news of the week: Obama picks North Carolina, Beacon-News, city=Aurora, Illinois citation
    • , passage=Instead, he played the chalk and selected the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.}}

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To apply chalk to anything, such as the tip of a billiard cue.
  • To record something, as on a blackboard, using chalk.
  • To use powdered chalk to mark the lines on a playing field.
  • (figuratively) To record a score or event, as if on a chalkboard.
  • To manure (land) with chalk.
    • (Mortimer)
  • To make white, as if with chalk; to make pale; to bleach.
    • (Tennyson)
  • * Herbert
    • Let a bleak paleness chalk the door.

    Derived terms

    * chalk up to * chalky * different as chalk and cheese * chalk line * by a long chalk

    Related terms

    * calcium * calx * chalkboard

    See also

    * (wikipedia) * *

    slate

    English

    Noun

    (wikipedia slate) (en noun)
  • (uncountable) A fine-grained homogeneous sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash which has been metamorphosed so that it cleaves easily into thin layers.
  • (uncountable) The bluish-grey colour of most slate.
  • (countable) A sheet of slate for writing on with chalk.
  • (countable) A tile made of slate.
  • (countable) A record of money owed.
    • Put it on my slate – I’ll pay you next week.
  • (countable) A list of affiliated candidates for an election.
    • Roy Disney led the alternative slate of directors for the stockholder vote.
  • An artificial material resembling slate and used for the same purposes.
  • A thin plate of any material; a flake.

    • Synonyms

    * slate grey, slate gray * (record of money owed) account, bill

    Derived terms

    * clean slate * on the slate * wipe the slate clean

    See also

    * basalt * blackboard * chalkboard * whiteboard *

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Having the bluish-grey/gray colour/color of slate.

    • Derived terms

    * slate black * slate blue * slate gray/slate grey * slate pencil * slate-coloured junco * slaty

    Verb

  • To cover with slate.
    • The old church ledgers show that the roof was slated in 1775.
  • (chiefly, British) To criticise harshly.
    • The play was slated by the critics.
  • (chiefly, US) To schedule.
    • The election was slated for November 2nd.
  • (chiefly, US) To destine or strongly expect.
    • The next version of our software is slated to be the best release ever.
  • To punish severely.
    • The boy was slated by his own mom for disobeying her.

    Anagrams

    *