caulk
/kɔːk/ (bre, ipa) · /kɑːk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkȯk/ (ame, mw) · /kɔːk/ (ame, ipa)
caulk — noun
1. a soft, paste-like material — usually silicone or acrylic — that is squeezed int
a soft, paste-like material — usually silicone or acrylic — that is squeezed into narrow gaps around bathtubs, sinks, windows, or pipes so that water and air cannot pass through; it hardens after a few hours into a flexible, waterproof seal.
Ingrid squeezed a thin line of caulk along the edge of the kitchen sink.
collocation: a line/bead of caulk along [edge]
The old caulk around the bathtub had turned black with mould and needed replacing.
common context: bathroom maintenance + ageing caulk
Andrés bought a tube of silicone caulk at the hardware shop.
Make sure the surface is dry before you apply the caulk.
A thin layer of caulk between the tiles stops water leaking onto the floor.
- sealant
broader term — covers caulk plus other gap-filling materials like weatherstripping foam
- filler
more general; can mean anything that fills a hole, including wood filler or wall filler, not just for waterproofing
- putty
stiffer and more clay-like; traditionally used for fixing glass into window frames rather than for waterproofing seams
文法句型
a tube of caulk
apply caulk to/around N
用法筆記
Almost always uncountable: 'some caulk', 'a bit of caulk', NOT 'a caulk'. To talk about a single container, use 'a tube of caulk' or 'a cartridge of caulk'.
常見錯誤
caulk — verb
- caulkpresent simple I / you / we / they
- caulkshe / she / it
- caulkedpast simple
- caulking-ing form
1. to press a soft waterproof paste into the narrow gaps around a bath, sink, windo
to press a soft waterproof paste into the narrow gaps around a bath, sink, window frame, boat seam, or pipe joint so that water and air cannot get through; the paste then dries and forms a flexible, watertight seal.
Meera caulked around the new bathtub before turning on the water for the first time.
pattern: caulk around [object being sealed]
The boat builders caulked every seam in the wooden hull to keep water out.
traditional context: caulking a wooden boat hull
Hana caulked the gaps around her bedroom window to block the cold winter air.
You should caulk the joints between the tiles and the wall once a year.
Yael caulked the leaking pipe joint as a quick fix until the plumber arrived.
- seal
broader, everyday word — anything from envelopes to containers can be sealed; 'caulk' specifically means closing gaps with paste
- waterproof
describes the result rather than the action; you waterproof a deck by caulking, painting, or covering it
- fill in
more general; can mean filling any hole or gap, not necessarily for keeping water out
文法句型
caulk + [object: bath / window / seam / pipe]
caulk around N
用法筆記
Object is typically the surface or seam being made watertight (the bath, the window, the seam), NOT the caulk itself. We caulk the bathtub, we do not 'caulk silicone into the gap'. Often paired with 'around': 'caulk around the bath'.