tarpaulin

English

Etymology

From tar + pall (“heavy canvas”) + -ing.

Pronunciation
  • (UK) IPA(key): /tɑˈpɔː.lɪn/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈtɑːɹpəlɪn/, /tɑɹˈpɔ.lɪn/
  • Rhymes: -ɔːlɪn

Noun

tarpaulin (countable and uncountable, plural tarpaulins)

  1. (countable) A tarp, a heavy, waterproof sheet of material, often cloth, used as a cover or blanket.
    Throw a tarpaulin over that woodpile before it gets wet.
  2. (countable, slang, archaic) A sailor (often abbreviated to tar)
  3. (uncountable, obsolete) Any heavy, waterproof material used as a cover.
  4. (uncountable, nautical, obsolete) Canvas waterproofed with tar, used as a cover.
  5. A hat made of, or covered with, painted or tarred cloth, worn by sailors and others.

Usage notes
  • In the US, tarp has been more common than tarpaulin in print since about 1990.[1] In speech since at least 1970.

Derived terms

Translations
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Translations to be checked

See also

References
  1. Google Books Ngram Viewer

Further reading

Anagrams
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