oakum

views updated Jun 08 2018

oakum †tow OE.; fibre obtained by picking old rope XV. OE. ācumbe, ācum(b)a, var. of ǣcumbe, ǣcuma, corr. to OHG. āchambi (MHG. ākambe, ākamp), f. ǣ-, ā- away, off + *camb-, stem of camb and cemban COMB; the etym. meaning is ‘offcombing’.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

oakum

views updated Jun 11 2018

oakum loose fibre obtained by untwisting old rope, used especially in caulking wooden ships. Picking oakum was a task formerly assigned to convicts and inmates of workhouses.

Recorded from Old English in the form ācumbe, literally ‘off-combings’, the current sense dates from Middle English.

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ELIZABETH KNOWLES

oakum

views updated May 23 2018

oa·kum / ˈōkəm/ • n. chiefly hist. loose fiber obtained by untwisting old rope, used esp. in caulking wooden ships.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

More From encyclopedia.com

About this article

oakum

All Sources -
Updated Aug 08 2016 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic

You Might Also Like