calcar

See also: calçar

English

Etymology 1

From the Italian calcara (“lime-kiln”).

Noun

calcar (plural calcars)

1. A small oven or furnace, used for the calcination of sand and potash, and converting them into frit.

Related terms

• calcarious
• calcary

Etymology 2

From the Latin calcar (“spur”).

Noun

calcar (plural calcars or calcaria)

1. (botany, anatomy) A spur-like projection.
   • 1913, David Sharp, Fauna Hawaiiensis: Being the Land-fauna of the Hawaiian Islands, page 23:

     ... a calcar, the apical spine of the inner series must in many of the species be also considered as such, since the appearance of both, and their position as regards the calcaria, are precisely similar. This apical spine of the inner […]

   • 1923, Alexander Dyer MacGillivray, External Insect-anatomy: A Guide to the Study of Insect Anatomy and an Introduction to Systematic Entomology, page 245:

     ... The calcaria are frequently specified in the taxonomy of insects and are [...] a calcar is known as a strigilis. [...] A calcar and sometimes some of the adjacent setae are used for closing the […]

   • 2023 November 21, Danilo Russo, Brock Fenton, A Natural History of Bat Foraging: Evolution, Physiology, Ecology, Behavior, and Conservation, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 19:

     ... calcars. When the tail is long (equal to or longer than the length of the hind legs) and calcars are present [...] calcar is absent in all known specimens […]

Derived terms

• calcarate

Related terms

• calcariferous
• calcariform
• calcarine

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin calcāre.

Verb

calcar (first-person singular indicative present calco, past participle calcáu)

1. to press, push
2. to hit, strike

Conjugation

Conjugation of calcar

infinitive		calcar
gerund		calcando
past participle		m calcáu, f calcada, n calcao, m pl calcaos, f pl calcaes
person		first singular yo	second singular tu	third singular él/elli	first plural nosotros/nós	second plural vosotros/vós	third plural ellos
indicative	present	calco	calques	calca	calcamos	calcáis	calquen
	imperfect	calcaba	calcabes	calcaba	calcábemos, calcábamos	calcabeis, calcabais	calcaben
	preterite	calqué	calcasti, calquesti	calcó	calquemos	calcastis, calquestis	calcaron
	pluperfect	calcare, calcara	calcares, calcaras	calcare, calcara	calcáremos, calcáramos	calcareis, calcarais	calcaren, calcaran
	future	calcaré	calcarás	calcará	calcaremos	calcaréis	calcarán
	conditional	calcaría	calcaríes	calcaría	calcaríemos, calcaríamos	calcaríeis, calcaríais	calcaríen
subjunctive	present	calque	calques, calcas	calque	calquemos	calquéis	calquen, calcan
	imperfect	calcare, calcara	calcares, calcaras	calcare, calcara	calcáremos, calcáramos	calcareis, calcarais	calcaren, calcaran
imperative		—	calca	—	—	calcái	—

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Latin calcāre.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central) [kəlˈka]

• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [kalˈkaɾ]
• IPA^(key): (Northwestern) [kalˈka]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Verb

calcar (first-person singular present calco, first-person singular preterite calquí, past participle calcat)

1. to trace, to copy (copy by means of carbon paper or tracing paper)
   1. (figurative) to copy, to plagiarise

      Synonyms: copiar, reproduir, imitar, plagiar

2. to trample underfoot

Conjugation

    Central Catalan conjugation of calcar (first conjugation, c-qu alternation)

infinitive			calcar
gerund			calcant
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		calcat		calcada
		plural		calcats		calcades
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	calco	calques	calca	calquem	calqueu	calquen
	imperfect	calcava	calcaves	calcava	calcàvem	calcàveu	calcaven
	future	calcaré	calcaràs	calcarà	calcarem	calcareu	calcaran
	preterite	calquí	calcares	calcà	calcàrem	calcàreu	calcaren
	conditional	calcaria	calcaries	calcaria	calcaríem	calcaríeu	calcarien
subjunctive		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	calqui	calquis	calqui	calquem	calqueu	calquin
	imperfect	calqués	calquessis	calqués	calquéssim	calquéssiu	calquessin
imperative		—	tu	vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres vós	vostès
	affirmative	—	calca	calqui	calquem	calqueu	calquin
	negative (no)	—	no calquis	no calqui	no calquem	no calqueu	no calquin

Derived terms

• calc
• recalcar

Further reading

• “calcar”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “calcar”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “calcar” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “calcar”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Galician

Etymology

From Latin calcāre (“to press”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kalˈkaɾ/

Verb

calcar (first-person singular present calco, first-person singular preterite calquei, past participle calcado)

1. to press
2. to trample

Conjugation

    Conjugation of calcar (c-qu alternation)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	calcar
Personal	calcar	calcares	calcar	calcarmos	calcardes	calcaren
Gerund
	calcando
Past participle
Masculine	calcado			calcados
Feminine	calcada			calcadas
Indicative
Present	calco	calcas	calca	calcamos	calcades	calcan
Imperfect	calcaba	calcabas	calcaba	calcabamos	calcabades	calcaban
Preterite	calquei	calcaches	calcou	calcamos	calcastes	calcaron
Pluperfect	calcara	calcaras	calcara	calcaramos	calcarades	calcaran
Future	calcarei	calcarás	calcará	calcaremos	calcaredes	calcarán
Conditional	calcaría	calcarías	calcaría	calcariamos	calcariades	calcarían
Subjunctive
Present	calque	calques	calque	calquemos	calquedes	calquen
Imperfect	calcase	calcases	calcase	calcásemos	calcásedes	calcasen
Future	calcar	calcares	calcar	calcarmos	calcardes	calcaren
Imperative
Affirmative		calca	calque	calquemos	calcade	calquen
Negative (non)		non calques	non calque	non calquemos	non calquedes	non calquen

    Reintegrated conjugation of calcar (c-qu alternation) (See Appendix:Reintegrationism)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti / tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	calcar
Personal	calcar	calcares	calcar	calcarmos	calcardes	calcarem
Gerund
	calcando
Past participle
Masculine	calcado			calcados
Feminine	calcada			calcadas
Indicative
Present	calco	calcas	calca	calcamos	calcades, calcais	calcam
Imperfect	calcava	calcavas	calcava	calcávamos	calcávades, calcáveis, calcávais1	calcavam
Preterite	calquei	calcaste, calcache1	calcou	calcamos	calcastes	calcárom, calcaram
Pluperfect	calcara	calcaras	calcara	calcáramos	calcárades, calcáreis, calcárais1	calcaram
Future	calcarei	calcarás	calcará	calcaremos	calcaredes, calcareis	calcarám, calcarão
Conditional	calcaria	calcarias	calcaria	calcaríamos	calcaríades, calcaríeis, calcaríais1	calcariam
Subjunctive
Present	calque	calques	calque	calquemos	calquedes, calqueis	calquem
Imperfect	calcasse	calcasses	calcasse	calcássemos	calcássedes, calcásseis	calcassem
Future	calcar	calcares	calcar	calcarmos	calcardes	calcarem
Imperative
Affirmative		calca	calque	calquemos	calcade, calcai	calquem
Negative (nom)		nom calques	nom calque	nom calquemos	nom calquedes, nom calqueis	nom calquem

¹Less recommended.

Derived terms

• calco
• socalcar
• socalco

Related terms

• calcañar
• couce

References

• Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “calcar”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Santamarina, editor (2006–2013), “calcar”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• “calcar”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• Antón Santamarina, Ernesto X. González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “calcar”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “calcar”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Interlingua

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kalˈkar/

Verb

calcar

1. to trample, tread
2. to stamp, to impress
3. to kick
4. to trace

Conjugation

    Conjugation of calcar

infinitive		calcar
participle		present	perfect
		calcante	calcate
active		simple	perfect
	present	calca	ha calcate
	past	calcava	habeva calcate
	future	calcara	habera calcate
	conditional	calcarea	haberea calcate
	imperative	calca	—
passive		simple	perfect
	present	es calcate	ha essite calcate
	past	esseva calcate	habeva essite calcate
	future	essera calcate	habera essite calcate
	conditional	esserea calcate	haberea essite calcate
	imperative	sia calcate	—

Further reading

• Alexander Gode (1951), “calcar”, in Interlingua-English: A Dictionary of the International Language, New York: Storm Publishers, →OL, page 50

Latin

Etymology

Possibly from an extension of the Proto-Indo-European *(s)kel- (“heel”). Cognate of calx, calcō.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkaɫ.kar]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈkal.kar]

Noun

calcar n (genitive calcāris); third declension

1. spur (equestrian, or of a cock)
2. (figuratively) incitement, stimulus

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, pure i-stem).

	singular	plural
nominative	calcar	calcāria
genitive	calcāris	calcārium
dative	calcārī	calcāribus
accusative	calcar	calcāria
ablative	calcārī	calcāribus
vocative	calcar	calcāria

Descendants

• → English: calcar
• → Italian: calcare

References

• “calcar”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “calcar”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “calcar”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to put spurs to a horse: calcaribus equum concitare
    
• “calcar”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “calcar”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin
• New Latin Grammar, Allen and Greenough, 1903.

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Latin calx

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin calcāre

Portuguese calcar

Inherited from Latin calcāre.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kawˈka(ʁ)/ [kaʊ̯ˈka(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kawˈka(ʁ)/ [kaʊ̯ˈka(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /kawˈka(ɾ)/ [kaʊ̯ˈka(ɾ)]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /kawˈka(ʁ)/ [kaʊ̯ˈka(χ)]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /kawˈka(ɻ)/ [kaʊ̯ˈka(ɻ)]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kalˈkaɾ/ [kaɫˈkaɾ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kalˈkaɾ/ [kaɫˈkaɾ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /kalˈka.ɾi/ [kaɫˈka.ɾi]

• Hyphenation: cal‧car

Verb

calcar (first-person singular present calco, first-person singular preterite calquei, past participle calcado)

1. to trample, to crush
2. to press (grapes, etc.)
3. (figuratively) to humiliate, to subjugate
4. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (transitive) to base a work on (a previous one)
5. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (transitive) to copy a work

Usage notes

• Do not confuse with calçar.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of calcar (c-qu alternation) (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	calcar
Personal	calcar	calcares	calcar	calcarmos	calcardes	calcarem
Gerund
	calcando
Past participle
Masculine	calcado			calcados
Feminine	calcada			calcadas
Indicative
Present	calco	calcas	calca	calcamos	calcais	calcam
Imperfect	calcava	calcavas	calcava	calcávamos	calcáveis	calcavam
Preterite	calquei	calcaste	calcou	calcamos1, calcámos2	calcastes	calcaram
Pluperfect	calcara	calcaras	calcara	calcáramos	calcáreis	calcaram
Future	calcarei	calcarás	calcará	calcaremos	calcareis	calcarão
Conditional	calcaria	calcarias	calcaria	calcaríamos	calcaríeis	calcariam
Subjunctive
Present	calque	calques	calque	calquemos	calqueis	calquem
Imperfect	calcasse	calcasses	calcasse	calcássemos	calcásseis	calcassem
Future	calcar	calcares	calcar	calcarmos	calcardes	calcarem
Imperative
Affirmative		calca	calque	calquemos	calcai	calquem
Negative (não)		não calques	não calque	não calquemos	não calqueis	não calquem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Related terms

• calcanhar
• calçar
• coice
• decalcar
• inculcar
• recalcar

Noun

calcar m (plural calcares)

1. (botany) spur
2. (zoology) in arthropods, a mobile process similar to a spike
3. (zoology) in certain insects, the strongest spur located in the tibia

Further reading

• “calcar”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “calcar”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French calcaire, from Latin calcarius.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kalˈkar/, /ˈkal.kar/

Noun

calcar n (plural calcare)

1. limestone

   Synonym: piatră-de-var

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	calcar	calcarul	calcare	calcarele
genitive-dative	calcar	calcarului	calcare	calcarelor
vocative	calcarule		calcarelor

Derived terms

• calcaros

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kalˈkaɾ/ [kalˈkaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: cal‧car

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Latin calx

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin calcāre

Spanish calcar

Inherited from Latin calcāre.

Verb

calcar (first-person singular present calco, first-person singular preterite calqué, past participle calcado)

1. to trace, copy (copy by means of carbon paper or tracing paper)
2. to trample

Conjugation

    Conjugation of calcar (c-qu alternation) (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			calcar
gerund			calcando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		calcado		calcada
		plural		calcados		calcadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	calco	calcastú calcásvos	calca	calcamos	calcáis	calcan
	imperfect	calcaba	calcabas	calcaba	calcábamos	calcabais	calcaban
	preterite	calqué	calcaste	calcó	calcamos	calcasteis	calcaron
	future	calcaré	calcarás	calcará	calcaremos	calcaréis	calcarán
	conditional	calcaría	calcarías	calcaría	calcaríamos	calcaríais	calcarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	calque	calquestú calquésvos2	calque	calquemos	calquéis	calquen
	imperfect (ra)	calcara	calcaras	calcara	calcáramos	calcarais	calcaran
	imperfect (se)	calcase	calcases	calcase	calcásemos	calcaseis	calcasen
	future1	calcare	calcares	calcare	calcáremos	calcareis	calcaren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		calcatú calcávos	calque	calquemos	calcad	calquen
	negative		no calques	no calque	no calquemos	no calquéis	no calquen

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of calcar (c-qu alternation)

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive calcar	dative	calcarme	calcarte	calcarle, calcarse	calcarnos	calcaros	calcarles, calcarse
	accusative	calcarme	calcarte	calcarlo, calcarla, calcarse	calcarnos	calcaros	calcarlos, calcarlas, calcarse
with gerund calcando	dative	calcándome	calcándote	calcándole, calcándose	calcándonos	calcándoos	calcándoles, calcándose
	accusative	calcándome	calcándote	calcándolo, calcándola, calcándose	calcándonos	calcándoos	calcándolos, calcándolas, calcándose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative calca	dative	cálcame	cálcate	cálcale	cálcanos	not used	cálcales
	accusative	cálcame	cálcate	cálcalo, cálcala	cálcanos	not used	cálcalos, cálcalas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative calcá	dative	calcame	calcate	calcale	calcanos	not used	calcales
	accusative	calcame	calcate	calcalo, calcala	calcanos	not used	calcalos, calcalas
with formal second-person singular imperative calque	dative	cálqueme	not used	cálquele, cálquese	cálquenos	not used	cálqueles
	accusative	cálqueme	not used	cálquelo, cálquela, cálquese	cálquenos	not used	cálquelos, cálquelas
with first-person plural imperative calquemos	dative	not used	calquémoste	calquémosle	calquémonos	calquémoos	calquémosles
	accusative	not used	calquémoste	calquémoslo, calquémosla	calquémonos	calquémoos	calquémoslos, calquémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative calcad	dative	calcadme	not used	calcadle	calcadnos	calcaos	calcadles
	accusative	calcadme	not used	calcadlo, calcadla	calcadnos	calcaos	calcadlos, calcadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative calquen	dative	cálquenme	not used	cálquenle	cálquennos	not used	cálquenles, cálquense
	accusative	cálquenme	not used	cálquenlo, cálquenla	cálquennos	not used	cálquenlos, cálquenlas, cálquense

Related terms

• calcañar
• calce
• calco
• conculcar
• inculcar
• recalcar

Etymology 2

Noun

calcar m (plural calcares)

1. (anatomy, botany) calcar (a spur-like projection)

Derived terms

• calcarino

Further reading

• “calcar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025