What does the word caulk mean and why is it trending?

Wordle’s daily puzzle left players crying foul after the answer was revealed to be “caulk”. So what the hell does it mean?

Social media users were once again left at odds after Wordle’s daily puzzle was revealed as caulk.

But what is its meaning and where did it originate from?

What does caulk mean?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, caulk is a material or substance used for filling in the gaps around the edge of something.

Another definition “is a material used to seal joints or seams against leakage in various structures and piping”.

Examples of where a caulk may be used includes a bathroom and a kitchen.

It is the waterproof sealant that can be bought in any DIY store that seals the gaps round the edge of the bath or where a backsplash meets a countertop in the kitchen.

A handyman applies caulk to a kitchen in a new home.

Where did caulk originate from?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary the word first appeared in the 14th century meaning “to stop up crevices or cracks”.

The oldest form of caulk consists of materials driven between the seams on wooden boats and ships.

Traditional caulking materials used fibres of cotton and oakum and were administered with a caulking mallet and a caulking iron.

In modern terms, caulking is usually used in the building trade and provides thermal insulation, controls water penetration and reduces noise transmission.

Why is caulk trending?

The word caulk began trending online as it was revealed to be the answer on Wordle’s daily puzzle for February 16, 2022.

Many disgruntled users on Twitter questioned whether the building term was even real.

One said: “What sort of word is caulk.”

Another added: “The NYT can caulk off.

“What the f**k is a CAULK? At this point the New York Times is just making up words

“Can we give wordle back to the guy who made it for his gf so she could actually have fun playing it and not stress out over these words.”

"Caulk" was the answer to Wordle's daily puzzle on February 16. Picture: Wordle/New York Times

Wordle solutions have been known to cause a stir on social media.

Twitter users take to the site to discuss the not-so-funny spelling of a day’s word.

Answers such as “humour” disgruntle some players for using the American spelling of the word.

A puzzle on January 12, 2022 caused similar outrage for ditching the U in favour, with favour being the day’s answer.

Previous Wordle answers so far in February 2022 have included:

February 15, 2022 #241: AROMA

February 14, 2022 #240: CYNIC

February 13, 2022 #239: ROBIN

February 12, 2022 #238: ULTRA

February 11, 2022 #237: ULCER

February 10, 2022 #236: PAUSE

February 8, 2022 #234: FRAME

February 7, 2022 #233: ELDER

February 6, 2022 #232: SKILL

February 5, 2022 #231: ALOFT

February 4, 2022 #230: PLEAT

February 3, 2022 #229: SHARD

February 2, 2022 #228: MOIST

February 1, 2022 #227: THOSE

This article was originally published by The Sun and reproduced with permission

Originally published as What does the word caulk mean and why is it trending?