Meanings
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of caulk
plural caulkings
- uncountableusuallyA sealing material used to seal joints between heterogeneous materials in many kinds of construction and manufacture.
Oakum was used for the caulking of the hulls of wooden ships.
2 more examples
Marina's bedroom was a small charming room with small charming windows of aged glass, dating to the mid-1800s, windowpanes badly in need of caulking, overlooking St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church with its heraldic spire floating on the night sky, and its ancient bumpy churchyard.
2001, Middle Age: A Romance, Joyce Carol Oates (Fourth Estate, paperback edition, 17)It might just be the caulking. This whole tub needs to be re-caulked. Did you take a bath or shower in the last couple of hours?
2016, Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea, spoken by Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) - uncountableusuallyAn act/process of sealing using this material.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna waterproof filler and sealant that is used in building and repair to make watertight
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Catalan calafatament, calafatament
- calafatamentsealing material
- calafatamentsealing process
Czech tmel, tmelení
- tmelsealing material
- tmelenísealing process
Danish kalfatring
- kalfatringsealing material
Dutch kit
- kitsealing material
Finnish rive (oakum), kitti
- rive (oakum)sealing material
- kittisealing material
- tiivistesealing material
- tilkesealing material
Greek διάναξη
- διάναξη (diánaxi)sealing material
Italian stoppa, stoppa catramata
- stoppasealing material
- stoppa catramatasealing material
- stoppa da calafatosealing material
Māori herepuru
- herepurusealing material
Polish szczeliwo, uszczelnianie
- szczeliwosealing material
- uszczelnianiesealing process
Spanish calafateante, masilla
- calafateantesealing material
- masillasealing material
- impermeabilizantesealing material
- hidrófugosealing material
- fraguasealing material
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
caulking. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caulking
“caulking.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caulking. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “caulking,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caulking.
Source: caulking on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.