oakum
(noun) loose hemp or jute fiber obtained by unravelling old ropes; when impregnated with tar it was used to caulk seams and pack joints in wooden ships
Source: WordNet® 3.1
oakum (countable and uncountable, plural oakums)
A material, consisting of tarred fibres, used to caulk or pack joints in plumbing, masonry, and wooden shipbuilding.
The coarse portion separated from flax or hemp in hackling.
• (flax or hemp fibers separated in hackling): tow, hards
• Okuma
Source: Wiktionary
Oak"um, n. Etym: [AS. acumba; pref. er-, Goth. us-, orig. meaning, out) + cemban to comb, camb comb. See Comb.]
1. The material obtained by untwisting and picking into loose fiber old hemp ropes; -- used for calking the seams of ships, stopping leaks, etc.
2. The coarse portion separated from flax or hemp in nackling. Knight. White oakum, that made from untarred rope.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
22 January 2025
(noun) memorial consisting of a very large stone forming part of a prehistoric structure (especially in western Europe)
Coffee dates back to the 9th century. Goat herders in Ethiopia noticed their goats seem to be “dancing” after eating berries from a particular shrub. They reported it to the local monastery, and a monk made a drink out of it. The monk found out he felt energized and kept him awake at night. That’s how the first coffee drink was born.
