caulk
/kɔk/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.29 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A composition of vehicle and pigment used at ambient temperatures for filling/sealing joints or junctures, that remains elastic for an extended period of time after application.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "[…] & we went for a long walk & fatigued ourselves so that I, for one, took a caulk in the afternoon."
- "[W]e might be disturbed during the night by an order being given to "go about," and by hearing in the quiet hours of the morning the familiar inquiry of "How's her head?" Mine often ached with the din of the men caulking all day long!"
- "There was the goggle-eyed daughter a blowing the Grampus [throwing a bucket of water upon a person] with the platter-faced planter, whenever he caulked upon deck; […]"
- "[…] and as sleep is about the only thing there is for a sailor at sea to get in the way of recreation, he prizes it accordingly and gets all he can. It is technically called "caulking," and a man will brag of having "caulked" the whole four hours of his watch on deck […]"
Etymology
From Old Northern French cauquer, from Late Latin calicāre (“to fill in with limestone, caulk”), derived from calx (“limestone, chalk”). Related to calx, cauk, chalk, and calculus.
Word Breakdown
- Root: cauquer, calicāre
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /kɔk/
- British English: /kɔːk/