tarpaulin

Definition

A tarp, a heavy, waterproof sheet of material, often cloth, used as a cover or blanket.

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

• "Throw a tarpaulin over that woodpile before it gets wet."
• "There were sailors asleep in the fantastic fashion of the British tarpaulin — snoring heavily as they lay on the bare deck, despite the din about them."