: loosely twisted hemp or jute fiber impregnated with tar or a tar derivative and used in caulking seams and packing joints
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Longtime DIY owners talk about pouring cement between the foundation rocks and buying oakum, sailor's tarry rope, to weave it between the logs to keep the wind out.
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Janet Eastman, OregonLive.com, 6 July 2017
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Janet Eastman, OregonLive.com, 6 July 2017
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“Oakum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oakum. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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oakum
noun
oa·kum
ˈō-kəm 
: hemp or jute fiber soaked with tar or something like tar and used in caulking seams (as of wooden ships) and packing joints (as of pipes)
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