Duct tape (originally known as duck tape) is a strong, fabric-based, multi-purpose adhesive tape, usually silver in color, although many other colors, including transparent, are also available, and is usually 2 inches (50 mm) wide. It was originally developed during World War II in 1942 as a waterproof sealing tape for ammunition casings. Permacel, then a division of Johnson & Johnson, used a rubber-based adhesive to help the tape resist water and a fabric backing to facilitate ripping. Because of these properties, it was also used to quickly repair military equipment, including jeeps, guns, and aircraft.
Because the original tape was made of cotton duck fabric, and it repelled moisture like "water off a duck's back", it was originally referred to as "duck tape". The original term came into modern usage with the introduction of "Duck Tape", a registered trademark of Duck Products.
After the war, the housing industry boomed and people started using duct tape for many other purposes. The name "duct tape" came 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). However metallized and aluminum tapes used by professionals are still often called "duct tapes".