Tarpaulin
/ˌtɑːr.pəˈlɪn/noun
A heavy waterproof material used for covering or protecting things.
Did you know?The word began as a sailor’s compound for tarred canvas, and its earliest form was later reshaped by folk etymology into the modern-looking ending -paulin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*terwō
“tar, resinous pitch”
Old English
OE
teoru
“tar, pitch”
Late Middle English
English
tarpawlin / tarpaulin
“tarred canvas used as a protective covering on ships”
17th Century
English
tarpaulin
“waterproof tarred cloth, especially for maritime use”
Modern English
English
tarpaulin
“a waterproof sheet or cover made of strong material”