Word
calcareous
Phoneticscal·care·ous
UK/kˈælkeəɹəs/
Definition
adj. containing a lot of chalk or limestone. You use it to describe soil or rock with much calcium in it.
adj. containing or composed of calcium carbonate, especially limestone or chalk. Often describes soils, rocks, or organisms that thrive in lime-rich environments.
Examples
“These hills have calcareous soil with much chalk.”
“The farmer tests the field because calcareous soil changes which crops grow well.”
“The botanist prefers calcareous grasslands where thin, lime-rich soils support orchids that cannot survive in acidic ground.”
Examples
simple
“These hills have calcareous soil with much chalk.”
contextual
“The farmer tests the field because calcareous soil changes which crops grow well.”
complex
“The botanist prefers calcareous grasslands where thin, lime-rich soils support orchids that cannot survive in acidic ground.”
Usage
Typically placed before the noun it modifies.
Real-World Examples
“The team analyzed nitrogen isotopes in the calcareous skeletons of corals and used the data to reconstruct the source of nitrogen in seawater over the past 270 years.” “He discussed the calcareous sponges inhabiting Tatoosh's caves, which, like other hard-shell species, utilize dissolved calcium carbonate to form their skeletons or spicules, making them vulnerable in increasingly acidic waters.” Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin calcārius (“of or pertaining to lime”), derived from calx (“lime”). Similar to calcium.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/calcareous