oakum
Seam-sealing hemp
Oakum is loose fiber obtained by untwisting and picking apart old ropes, traditionally used for caulking the seams of wooden ships.
The fibers were packed into gaps between planks and sealed with tar to make hulls watertight.
Picking oakum was notoriously tedious labor, often assigned to prisoners and workhouse inmates in the 19th century.
Industrial fiber crop
cordage · fibrous · tarred · loose · untwisted · strands · coarse · fibers
File bundling utility
- pitchFrequency of sound
- seamsJoined fabric edges
- watertightPrevents liquid from passing
- packingPutting items in containers
stuffing · filler · joints · mallet · chisel · sealing · waterproofing · leak
Act of selecting
- workhouseInstitution housing poor laborers
- convictsImprisoned felons
- prisonConfinement for offenders
- punishmentPenalty for an offense
inmates · penitentiary · Victorian · drudgery · toil · tedious · monotonous · fingers
hemp
Industrial fiber crop
flax · cordage · fibrous · tarred · loose · untwisted · strands · coarse · fibers · teased
tar
File bundling utility
- pitchFrequency of sound
- seamsJoined fabric edges
- watertightPrevents liquid from passing
packing · stuffing · filler · joints · mallet · chisel · sealing · waterproofing · leak · hull
picking
Act of selecting
punishment · inmates · penitentiary · Victorian · drudgery · toil · tedious · monotonous · fingers · bleeding
shipyard
Vessel construction site
- shipbuildingConstructing maritime vessels
- dockyardsMaritime construction facilities
- galleonsMulti-decked sailing warships
navy · sailors · shipwrights · rigging · drydock · naval · vessels · barques · frigates · schooners
oakumsilicone caulk
Flexible waterproofing compound
epoxy · silicone sealant · rubber gasket · fiberglass · welded joints
- oak treeLarge deciduous hardwood
- poison oakUrushiol-bearing shrub causing dermatitis
- Royal OakDetroit-area municipality
- oak cask
- English oakBritain's native oak species
- Professor Oak