Dictionary.com

caulk

or calk

[ kawk ]
/ kɔk /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: caulk / caulking on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
to fill or close seams or crevices of (a tank, window, etc.) in order to make watertight, airtight, etc.
to make (a vessel) watertight by filling the seams between the planks with oakum or other material driven snug.
to fill or close (a seam, joint, etc.), as in a boat.
to drive the edges of (plating) together to prevent leakage.
noun
Also caulk·ing [kaw-king]. /ˈkɔ kɪŋ/. a material or substance used for caulking.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of caulk

1350–1400; <Latin calcāre “to trample, tread on” (verbal derivative of calx “heel”), conflated with Middle English cauken <Old French cauquer “to trample” <Latin, as above
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use caulk in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for caulk

caulk

calk

/ (kɔːk) /

verb
to stop up (cracks, crevices, etc) with a filler
nautical to pack (the seams) between the planks of the bottom of (a vessel) with waterproof material to prevent leakage

Derived forms of caulk

caulker or calker, noun

Word Origin for caulk

C15: from Old Northern French cauquer to press down, from Latin calcāre to trample, from calx heel
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK