Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
caulker

caulker

1 8.1
A person who seals gaps to stop water from entering boats or buildings
  • noun
  • /ˈkɔːkər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : calafateador
  • The skilled caulker expertly sealed the gaps in the ship's hull to prevent leaks during the voyage.
  • caulker's mate

Examples

  • Naturally, commerce played a central role: all of the processing guilds made or sold goods or services (as opposed to the caulkers or ship carpenters, for example).

    Academic text (2008)

  • In Gil Vicente's appropriately entitled Nau de amores, the caulkers say that the sea is calm and tell the oarsmen to start rowing with the following popular song:

    Academic text (1998)

  • Oh, I'm a really, very good caulker.

    27 Dresses (2008)

  • As a professional caulker, she ensures that all the windows in the new building are watertight.

  • The caulker worked diligently to apply the sealant, making sure that every joint was perfectly sealed.

Surface Forms

caulker singular
caulkers plural

Morphology

caulker = caulk (transparent) = caulk + er

The word 'caulker' is transparently derived from 'caulk' with the addition of the agentive suffix '-er'.

Etymology

Caulker comes from the verb caulk, which means 'to fill or seal gaps', plus the ending -er, meaning 'a person who does something'. A caulker is someone who fills seams with tar or putty to stop leaks, so their job is to make boats and buildings watertight.