duct tape

American

[duhk, duhkt] / dʌk, dʌkt /

noun

a strongly adhesive silver-gray cloth tape, used in plumbing, household repairs, etc.

duct tape British

noun

a type of strong waterproof adhesive silver-coloured cloth tape used for repairs by plumbers, electricians, etc

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Because the last owner “thought duct tape would fix everything.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

The duct-tape solution assumes you have duct tape — but the West’s is now in China because it was cheaper.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 3, 2026

We’re hurtling toward a future with more than 50 state systems patched together with duct tape and wishful thinking.

From Slate • Jul. 4, 2025

MacPhail woke at 2:20 a.m. and applied toe caps, duct tape and Vaseline to his feet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 27, 2025

Her ornate wood frame is perched atop four curved wooden legs, her arms as high as her back, and she’s been repaired with duct tape in more than a few places.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023