Linoleum
//lɪˈnoʊli.əm// noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An inexpensive waterproof covering used especially for floors, made from solidified linseed oil over a burlap or canvas backing, or from its modern replacement, polyvinyl chloride. countable, uncountable
"The house seemed unfamiliar in the dark stormy light; the red and purple glass of the front door made livid bruises on the linoleum; the green chenille curtain was like a veil of seaweed."
- 2 a floor covering wordnet
Example
More examples"The parquetry linoleum is not only less costly than wood, but it is more sanitary and much easier to take care of."
Etymology
From Latin līnum (“flax”) + oleum (“oil”). Coined by English manufacturer and inventor Frederick Walton c. 1864 and used as a trade name but never registered as a trademark. It was the first product whose name was ruled to be genericized.
Related phrases
More for "linoleum"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.