MEANING
To seal a joint or gap with a flexible or packed sealing material.
Use it for
small repairs; draught prevention; waterproof joinsUse a precise verb for closing a narrow leak or gap.
Words that belong together
- caulk a window
- caulk the joints
- caulk around the bath
On the page
He caulked the gap around the kitchen window.
The bath still leaked where the joint had never been caulked.
She bought a sealing gun and spent Sunday caulking the conservatory frames.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- caulk / caulks
- Past tense
- caulked
- Past participle
- caulked
- Present participle
- caulking
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- caulk / caulks
- Present continuous
- am/is/are caulking
- Present perfect
- have/has caulked
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been caulking
- Past
- caulked
- Past continuous
- was/were caulking
- Past perfect
- had caulked
- Past perfect continuous
- had been caulking
- Future
- will caulk / caulks
- Future continuous
- will be caulking
- Future perfect
- will have caulked
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been caulking
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: architecture. Modern building usage often involves sealant around windows or baths; historically also seams in boats. Verb: caulk, caulks, caulked, caulked, caulking. Also mass noun: caulk.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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