What does "calk" mean?

A pointed projection on a horseshoe to prevent its slipping.

What is a synonym for "calk"?

Common synonyms include: calkin, caulk, caulk, caulken, caulkin, cleat.

//kælk// name, noun, verb

name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A pointed projection on a horseshoe to prevent its slipping.
2
a metal cleat on the bottom front of a horseshoe to prevent slipping wordnet
3
A spike on the sole of a boot to prevent slipping, particularly used in logging.
"Near-synonym: cleat"
4
Alternative form of caulk (“a short sleep, nap”). alt-of, alternative

Verb

1
Alternative spelling of caulk. alt-of, alternative, dated, possibly
"When a joint was calked, the bell piece was then separated,"
2
To copy (a drawing) by rubbing the back of it with red or black chalk, and then passing a blunt stylus or needle over the lines, so as to leave a tracing on the paper or other thing against which it is laid or held.
3
injure with a calk wordnet
4
To make an indentation in the edge of a metal plate, as along a seam in a steam boiler or an iron ship, to force the edge of the upper plate hard against the lower and so fill the crevice.
5
seal with caulking wordnet

Show 2 more definitions

Proper Noun

1
A surname from German. countable, uncountable
2
An unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Kentucky, United States. countable, uncountable

"When a joint was calked, the bell piece was then separated,"

Etymology 1

From French calque, ultimately derived from Latin calcō (“I trample”). Doublet of calque.

Etymology 2

Possibly a habitational surname from Calke in Derbyshire, or alternatively an Americanized spelling of German Kalk.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.