linoleum
Americannoun
-
a hard, washable floor covering formed by coating burlap or canvas with linseed oil, powdered cork, and rosin, and adding pigments to create the desired colors and patterns.
-
any floor covering similar to this.
noun
Etymology
Origin of linoleum
1863; < Latin līn ( um ) flax, linen + oleum oil; formerly trademark
Explanation
Linoleum is a sturdy, water-resistant type of floor covering. Many kitchens and bathrooms have linoleum floors, which kids love to slide across in their socks. Linoleum, which has been around since the late 1800s, is a smooth flooring made from linseed oil and other materials like powdered cork and wood fibers. Linoleum is durable, easy to clean with a mop, and comes in many colors. It's been largely replaced by cheaper and less flammable plastics, but many people still prefer linoleum because it's organic and non-allergenic. Linoleum's inventor coined the word, a combination of the Latin for “linen or flax,” linum, and oleum, which means "oil."
Vocabulary lists containing linoleum
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Frindle
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"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Linoleum cutters have also proved useful in his work.
From Fox News • Oct. 26, 2021
Linoleum City in East Hollywood, established in 1948, is a first stop for many production designers.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2020
The story began some 150 years ago with the arrival of Scottish and English companies like Clark Thread, Nairn Linoleum, Mile End Thread and Linen Thread.
From Washington Times • Jun. 23, 2018
His carefully polished shoe bunted the leg of table, which rocked then toppled, and the slap of its plastic frame on the Linoleum echoed through the empty room.
From The Guardian • May 21, 2013
Linoleum - A floor covering made in sheets by pressing heated linseed oil, rosin, powdered cork, and pigments onto a burlap or canvas backing.
From Things To Make by Williams, Archibald
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
