tarpaulin

American  

[tahr-paw-lin, tahr-puh-lin] / tɑrˈpɔ lɪn, ˈtɑr pə lɪn /

noun

• tarpaulins
  plural

1. a protective covering of canvas or other material waterproofed with tar, paint, or wax.

2. a hat, especially a sailor's, made of or covered with such material.

3. Rare. a sailor.

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tarpaulin British  

/ tɑːˈpɔːlɪn /

noun

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 hat of or covered with this fabric, esp a sailor's hat

4. a rare word for seaman

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tarpaulins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tarpaulin

1595–1605; earlier tarpauling. See tar ¹, pall ¹, -ing ¹

Explanation

A tarpaulin is a heavy, waterproof piece of fabric that's used as a protective cover or shelter. You might drape a tarpaulin over your tent when it starts raining in the middle of your camping trip. Or you can just go home. Tarpaulins are often called tarps for short. The word probably includes tar because of the original method for waterproofing a tarpaulin, which involved spreading tar on a heavy piece of canvas. The pall part means "cloth." During the 19th century, it was common to abbreviate the word as paulin, especially in nautical terminology.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tarpaulin tarpaulins

A spare bedroom acts as a medical supply cupboard, outside is a bed under a red stretched tarpaulin.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Cooper has given the board of trustees until the end of July to explain why the tarpaulin remains in place.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Some of her neighbours are covering their cars in tarpaulin to protect them from the bird; one is rumoured to have spent £800 on repairs.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

A tarpaulin covered the court to make sure people couldn’t observe his lengthy matches.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

Fertile stuff, if it can somehow be irrigated, the loess blanketed the underlying structure like a heavy tarpaulin tossed over a piece of machinery.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Hick said Syston residents could also do their bit by cleaning their gullies and drains now and again in autumn when leaves begin to drop and consider flood barriers, sandbags and tarpaulins for their properties.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Doctors and forensic experts in the port examined bodies under tarpaulins held up by four poles before issuing death certificates and cremation authorizations.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

Across the nation families and friends rolled out blankets and tarpaulins at parks, temples and even cemeteries over the weekend to eat and drink under cherry trees for traditional "hanami" or flower viewing gatherings.

From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026

At another settlement, the U.N. refugee agency has run out of blankets, tarpaulins and sleeping mats, forcing refugees to sleep in the open.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025

Most of these people traveled in big trucks covered with dark canvas tarpaulins, but there were some trailers and a few camper tops like Rocinante.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck