chalky

[chaw-kee]

of or like chalk.

of a chalklike consistency: chalky soil.

without resonance, color, warmth, etc.: several high tones that were quite chalky.

Photography. lacking in detail, due to extreme contrast: a chalky print.

RELATED WORDS

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at chalk, -y¹

Related formschalk·i·ness, nounnon·chalk·y, adjectiveun·chalk·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

And, thanks to Jimmy, Chalky (Michael Kenneth Williams) got revenge on the Klansmen who shot up his warehouse.
‘Homeland,’ ‘Revenge,’ ‘The Good Wife,’ ‘Sons of Anarchy’ and More: Where We Left Off|Jace Lacob, Maria Elena Fernandez|September 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Chalky by all means is a businessman and he is in it for the money, the power, the prestige, and the status.
Boardwalk Empire's Racial Divide|Jace Lacob|October 10, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The salient consists mainly of a chalky plateau full of hollows, each with its village or little town.
The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4 (of 10)|James Edward Parrott
On roadside banks, particularly in chalky districts, we may often meet with the Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa).
Field and Woodland Plants|William S. Furneaux

Shark's teeth tell of the larger inhabitants of the ocean that flowed above the chalky bottom.
The Geological Story of the Isle of Wight|J. Cecil Hughes
Her health appeared excellent, notwithstanding her slim frame and chalky color.
An Ambitious Woman|Edgar Fawcett
Reduction to one-half or one-fourth intensity is inclined to make a small object appear washed out or chalky.
Industrial Arts Design|William H. Varnum

Word Origin and History for chalky

adj.

c.1400, from chalk (n.) + -y (2). Related: Chalkiness.