Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language is regarded by many as the finest English
dictionary ever published. The dictionary is available in many forms. I made the content available here for my own purposes,
out of personal admiration for this particular dictionary.
OAKUM, n. The substance of old ropes untwisted and pulled into loose hemp; used for caulking the seams of ships, stopping leaks, etc. That formed from untarred ropes is called white oakum.