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

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Etymology

Origin of tarpaulin

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

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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

Pelham added: "There was a big, black tarpaulin over the tiger enclosure."

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 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

Technicians from the charity set up a mobile camp under a tarpaulin, offering shade from the blazing sun, while providing eye examinations, vision tests, and the selection and fitting of glasses.

From Barron's ● May 27, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

The truck has a tarpaulin over its bed.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

AFP saw several residents of the small town of Mbay, in Nagekeo regency nearest the epicentre, camped out in makeshift tents they had erected using tarpaulins and poles.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

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

Instead, men gather for evening prayers in a temporary structure covered in green tarpaulins and with palm leaves for a roof.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

Nearly 270,000 tents and tarpaulins have been brought into Gaza since August, according to COGAT, although the breakdown and quality of the items couldn’t be determined.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 13, 2025

When they got to the valley that leads to the cave, they cleared away some underbrush and put up blue tarpaulins.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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