It's a common word as far as I, an American, knew. But then again my dad was handy around the house and we always had tubes of caulking around.

I'm not sure about that, given it was used in New Girl, a Fox tv series. The comments thanking new girl for how the solver knew the word was such a refreshing change from "omg NYT ruined it"

...I also learned it was used in that classic millennial childhood game Oregon Trail (because you can caulk the wagon to cross the river)