caulk

1 of 3

verb

ˈkȯk 

variants or calk

caulked or calked; caulking or calking; caulks or calks

transitive verb

: to stop up and make tight against leakage (something, such as a boat or its seams, the cracks in a window frame, or the joints of a pipe)

caulker noun

caulk

2 of 3

noun (1)

variants or calk or less commonly caulking or calking

ˈkȯ-kiŋ 

: material used to caulk

caulk

3 of 3

noun (2)

variant spelling of calk entry 2, calk entry 3

: a cleat on the shoe of a horse to prevent slipping

also : a similar device worn on the sole of a shoe

Examples of caulk in a Sentence

Verb

He carefully caulked the area around the windows.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Add caulking around the fireplace hearth. —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Oct. 2025

There’s no need to use a caulking gun to apply it, just remove the cap and squeeze. —Christopher Murray May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Noun

Add caulk or weatherstripping to seal air leaks around leaky doors and windows. —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Oct. 2025

Use caulk to plug openings around windows, doors, and utility pipes entering your house. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English caulken, from Anglo-French cauker, calcher, chalcher to trample, from Latin calcare, from calc-, calx heel

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1954, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for caulk

• balk
• baulk
• bloc
• bock
• broch
• brock
• calk
• chalk
• chock
• clock
• cock
• croc

Kids Definition

caulk

verb

variants or calk

ˈkȯk

: to fill up a crack, seam, or joint so as to make it watertight

caulker noun