tarpaulin Hear it!

tarpaulin definition

tar·pau·lin (tär pô′lin, tär′pə lin)

noun

    1. waterproof material; specif., canvas coated with a waterproofing compound
    2. a sheet of this used for spreading over something to protect it from getting wet
  2. Archaic a sailor; tar

Etymology: tar + -paulin, prob. < palling < pall, a covering

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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