tarpaulin

tarpaulin

1. a heavy hard-wearing waterproof fabric made of canvas or similar material coated with tar, wax, or paint, for outdoor use as a protective covering against moisture

2. a sheet of this fabric

3. a rare word for seaman

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

tarpaulin

[′tär·pə·lən]

(materials)

A sheet of waterproof canvas or other material; used to cover and protect construction materials and equipment, athletic fields, vehicles, or other exposed objects.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

tarpaulin

A waterproof cloth, esp. one used in large sheets for covering anything exposed to the weather.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.