n.
Pronunciation: k ə - ' l ē -ch ē
Function: noun
Etymology: American Spanish, from Spanish, flake of lime, from cal lime, from Latin calx ― more at CHALK
Date: circa 1858
1 : the nitrate-bearing gravel or rock of the sodium nitrate deposits of Chile and Peru
2 : a crust of calcium carbonate that forms on the stony soil of arid regions