caulk

or calk

[ kawk ]
See synonyms for caulk on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
  1. to fill or close seams or crevices of (a tank, window, etc.) in order to make watertight, airtight, etc.

  2. to make (a vessel) watertight by filling the seams between the planks with oakum or other material driven snug.

  1. to fill or close (a seam, joint, etc.), as in a boat.

  2. to drive the edges of (plating) together to prevent leakage.

noun
  1. Also caulk·ing [kaw-king]. /ˈkɔ kɪŋ/. a material or substance used for caulking.

Origin of caulk

1
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
  1. to stop up (cracks, crevices, etc) with a filler

  2. nautical to pack (the seams) between the planks of the bottom of (a vessel) with waterproof material to prevent leakage

Origin of caulk

1
C15: from Old Northern French cauquer to press down, from Latin calcāre to trample, from calx heel

Derived forms of caulk

  • caulker or calker, noun

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