noun
- loose fiber obtained by untwisting and picking apart old rope, used especially for caulking the seams of wooden ships
Usage: nautical; historical
Examples
- The sailors spent hours picking oakum to seal the ship’s hull.
- Oakum was stuffed into the gaps between the wooden planks.
- Prison inmates were often forced to pick oakum as punishment.
- The old rope was unraveled to make oakum for repairs.
- Without oakum, the wooden vessel would leak badly.
- Maritime workers used oakum and tar to waterproof ships.