oakum -
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
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Wiktionary
Substantiv
oakum -
A material, consisting of tarred fibres, used to caulk or pack joints in plumbing, masonry, and wooden shipbuilding.
Wikipedia
Oakum is a preparation of tarred fibre used in shipbuilding, for caulking or packing the joints of timbers in wooden vessels and the deck planking of iron and steel ships, as well as cast iron plumbing applications. Oakum was at one time recycled from old tarry ropes and cordage, which were painstackingly unraveled and taken apart into fiber; this task of picking and preparation was a common penal occupation in prisons and workhouses. In modern times, the fibrous material used in oakum is derived from virgin hemp or jute.
