chalk line
/'tʃɔ:klain/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A chalked string used in the building and carpentry trades to mark a straight line on a surface: A "chalk line" is a tool consisting of a string or cord coated with powdered chalk. When the string is pulled taut and snapped against a surface, it leaves a straight chalk mark as a guide for cutting, aligning, or constructing.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The carpenter used a chalk line to mark where the wall studs should go.
- Before cutting the plywood, snap a chalk line to ensure your cut is straight.
Advanced Usage
- "To snap a chalk line": This is the standard phrase for using the tool. It describes the action of pulling the chalk-coated string tight and releasing it so it strikes the surface, transferring the chalk.
- First, measure and mark your endpoints, then snap a chalk line between them.
Variants and Related Words
- Chalk line reel / Chalk box: These are common names for the container that holds the chalk-coated string.
- He reached for his chalk box to mark the long cut.
- Chalking (verb, related action): The process of applying or using chalk, as in marking a line.
- Line (noun, core component): The straight mark or guide that is the intended result.
Synonyms
- Marking line: A general term for a line used as a guide.
- Snap line: Another name for the same tool, emphasizing the action of snapping.
Related Phrases
- As straight as a chalk line: An idiom describing something that is perfectly straight or aligned.
- The new fence posts were set as straight as a chalk line.
Noun
- a chalked string used in the building trades to make a straight line on a vertical surface