What does caulked mean?
"Caulked" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "caulk," meaning to seal the joints or seams of a structure with a waterproof filler so that water or air cannot pass through. It appears constantly in construction, plumbing, and boatbuilding contexts: a contractor may have caulked a bathtub's edges, or a shipwright may have caulked a hull's planks with tarred fiber. By extension it can be used figuratively for anything made watertight or tightly closed. The word also serves adjectivally in phrases like "a freshly caulked window." Its history is surprisingly deep: English borrowed it from an Old North French verb descended ultimately from Latin "calcare," meaning to tread or press down with the heel, making it a distant cousin of words such as "calque" and "inculcate." Practical and unglamorous, "caulked" nonetheless names one of humanity's oldest solutions to a persistent problem — keeping water where it belongs.
Past tense and past participle of "caulk": sealed the joints or seams of something with waterproof filler or compound.
"They caulked the entire hull before launching the restored sloop."
Also used figuratively, as in "the deal was caulked tight against leaks to the press."
Having been sealed with caulk or sealant; watertight as a result of sealing.
"A well-caulked window can cut heating bills noticeably."
Most common as an attributive adjective before nouns such as "joint," "seam," or "frame."
Every "caulked" seam on a wooden ship traces back to the Latin word for heel — because early caulkers drove oakum into planks by stamping it down, heel first.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of caulked
The verb "caulk" entered English in the late Middle Ages or early modern period, likely through Old North French "cauquer," meaning to trample or press down. That French verb derives from Latin "calcare," "to tread with the heel," itself built on "calx," meaning heel. The original technique involved driving oakum or moss into the seams of a ship's planks by pressing it down with tools — hence the connection to treading. The same Latin root gives English "calque" (via French "calquer"), "decal" (from "décalquer"), "inculcate" (from "inculcare"), and "recalcitrant."
Related word forms
How caulked is actually used
"Caulked" functions as both the past tense/past participle of the verb "caulk" and as an attributive adjective describing something that has been sealed (e.g., "a caulked joint"). The spelling variant "calked" exists but is less common and can also refer to shoeing a horse with calks.
Easily confused with caulked
"Caulked" means sealed with waterproof filler, while "corked" means sealed with cork or, of wine, spoiled by a tainted cork.