transitive verb
- to stop up (the cracks, seams, etc.) of (a window frame, boat, etc.) as with a puttylike sealant or oakum
- to make (a joint of overlapping plates) tight by hammering the edge of one plate into the side of the other
Origin:
ME cauken, to tread < OFr cauquer < L calcare < calx, a heel: see calcar
noun
a soft, resilient, puttylike compound for use in caulking