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Duct tape

Duct tape is a strong, fabric-based, multi-purpose, adhesive tape, usually silver in color and 2" (50mm) wide. It was originally developed during World War II as a waterproof sealing tape.

After the war, the housing industry boomed and people started using duct tape for many other purposes. The name 'duct tape' comes from its use on heating and air conditioning ducts, a purpose for which it, ironically, has been deemed ineffective by the state of California and by building codes in most other places in the U.S. (which means professionals are restricted from using it in systems they install, but do-it-yourselfers are not).

Duct tape is often referred to as "duck tape" because it was made of cotton duck fabric and for its ability to repel moisture like a duck's back. "Duck Tape" is now a registered trademark.

A medical study announced on major news networks on October 15, 2002, stated that application of duct tape can be used as an effective treatment for warts. The number of uses to which it can be put had already been a source of jokes (some of them collected into books) for years.