Duck tape is the older usage. It was strips of canvas duck (the technical name for traditional sailcloth fabric) for finishing sewn edges and rope splices. Adhe

Duck tape is the older usage. It was strips of canvas duck (the technical name for traditional sailcloth fabric) for finishing sewn edges and rope splices. Adhesive variants came later but fabric tapes are ancient and still in use for example twill tape. Also if you know what duck weave looks like duct tape is still obviously based on it.