Calker

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tradesman who packs and seals the seams of a ship's hull or wooden structure with caulking material to keep water out
2. A skilled worker who fills gaps and joints with waterproof fiber and sealant so that a vessel or building stays watertight
3. Someone whose job is to drive oakum or sealant into the seams between planks to prevent leaks in boats and other structures

Etymology: A calker is simply one who calks, and the story here is in the verb. To calk a ship or boat is to seal its seams against water, typically by driving oakum or other fibrous material into the gaps between planks and sealing them with pitch or tar. The noun is formed by adding the agent suffix "-er" to that verb, so a calker is the person whose job is doing this work, most often a shipwright working on wooden hulls. The verb itself shares a history with the closely related "caulk," and the two spellings have long been used interchangeably. The "-er" ending is one of the most productive suffixes in English, which is why it attaches so easily to a trade verb like this one and produces a plain, practical name for a plain, practical job.

Synonyms: caulker