Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

duct tape

American  
[duhk, duhkt] / dʌk, dʌkt /

noun

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

duct tape British  

noun

  1. 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.

He covered a doorbell camera at his home with duct tape at about 07:35 on the day of the shooting.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 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

The electrical grid is held together with duct tape.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

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

The edges were sealed with silver duct tape.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.