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

The fire knocked out power for weeks, caused smoke damage inside and melted caulking around some of its windows. —Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2026

It's also recommended to use caulking to stop drafts or an alternative source like heat tape. —Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026

Noun

Buy an inexpensive tube of caulk and fill in gaps around doors and windows. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026

To stop silverfish from accessing your home, use caulk to seal all possible entry points, including cracks and crevices around windows, doors, and walls. —Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Jan. 2026

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