Chalky describes something that has the qualities of chalk: dry, powdery, and often leaving a dusty white residue. When you write on a blackboard with chalk, your fingers might feel chalky afterward, covered in a fine dust that rubs off easily.

The word often describes taste or texture. Some vitamins taste chalky, dry and gritty on your tongue rather than smooth. Certain candies leave a chalky coating in your mouth. Old chocolate that's been stored poorly can develop a chalky white film on its surface, though it's usually still safe to eat.

In art, chalky colors are pale and powdery-looking, as if they've been made with actual chalk pastels. A painter might describe a shade of blue as having a chalky quality if it looks dusty or faded rather than bright and vivid.

The word can also describe skin or lips that look dried out and flaky, with a whitish, dusty appearance. After swimming in a chlorinated pool all day, your skin might feel chalky and tight, needing moisturizer to feel normal again.