tarpaulins

Noun

tarpaulin (countable and uncountable, plural tarpaulins)

1. (countable) A heavy, waterproof sheet of material, often cloth or plastic sheet, used as a cover or blanket (often as weatherproofing, or to keep loose cargo from blowing off a lorry).
   • Throw a tarpaulin over that woodpile before it gets wet.
2. (archaic, uncountable) Canvas waterproofed with tar, used as a cover.
3. (archaic) A hat made of, or covered with, painted or tarred cloth, worn by sailors and others.
   • Near-synonym: rain hat

   Synonyms:

   rain hat

4. (archaic, countable, slang) A sailor.

   Synonyms:

   tar

See all 5 meanings of tarpaulin