What does corked mean?
Corked is chiefly known as a wine-tasting term describing a bottle spoiled by contamination from its stopper rather than by age or poor winemaking. When a natural cork carries a chemical compound known as TCA (trichloroanisole), the wine inside develops a unmistakably musty aroma, often likened to damp cardboard or a wet dog, and loses its fruit and freshness. Such a bottle is said to be corked, and because this is recognised as a defect rather than a matter of taste, restaurants will typically replace the wine. Estimates suggest a small but significant percentage of cork-sealed bottles are affected, which has driven much of the wine industry's shift toward screwcaps and synthetic closures. In a second, humbler sense, corked serves as the past tense of the verb cork, meaning simply to have sealed a bottle or container with a stopper of cork.
Describing wine that has been spoiled by a contaminated cork, giving it a musty, unpleasant taste and smell.
"We sent the bottle back — it was clearly corked."
Used almost exclusively in the context of wine.
Past tense of cork: to have sealed a bottle or container with a cork stopper.
"He corked the flask tightly before shaking the mixture."
Roughly one to three percent of all bottles sealed with natural corks are estimated to be corked — which is why sommeliers hand you the cork to sniff, not as a ritual, but to check for a compound called TCA that can ruin an otherwise perfect bottle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of corked
The word traces back to 'cork', the bark of the cork oak, which entered English in the early 14th century, probably via Dutch 'kurk' from Spanish 'alcorque', with possible ultimate roots in Latin 'quercus', meaning oak tree. As cork stoppers became standard for sealing bottles from the late 17th century onward, the verb 'to cork' arose naturally, bringing its past form 'corked' with it. The specialised wine-defect sense is a modern development, becoming widespread in the 20th century once scientists identified TCA as the culprit behind musty-tasting wines.
Related word forms
How corked is actually used
Almost always used of wine; a wine described as corked is considered defective, not merely disliked, and reputable restaurants will replace it without charge. The word carries a mildly technical register among wine professionals but is widely understood by general consumers. As a verb form, 'corked' simply records the act of sealing with a cork.
Easily confused with corked
'Corking' is an old-fashioned slang term meaning excellent or outstanding, whereas 'corked' describes something ruined — most often wine tainted by a bad cork.