oakum meaning
Noun: oakum owkum
- Loose hemp or jute fibre obtained by unravelling old ropes; when impregnated with tar it was used to caulk seams and pack joints in wooden ships
Derived forms: oakums
Type of: fiber [US], fibre [Brit, Cdn]
Encyclopedia: Oakum
[Architecture]
A caulking material made from old hemp rope fibers that have been treated with tar.
Examples
More: Next- oakum's the fibers you unpick from the old rope
- what am i to iearn, sir ?-learn to pick out the oakum
- -what am i to iearn, sir ?-learn to pick out the oakum
- she's opened up a seam ! we need to get some oakum and pound it in
- ship builders caulk wooden boats with oakum and tar