groundsheet

American  

[ground-sheet] / ˈgraʊndˌʃit /

noun

1. a waterproof sheet of plastic, canvas, or other durable material spread on the ground, ground, as under a sleeping bag or in a tent, for protection against moisture.

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groundsheet British  

/ ˈɡraʊndˌʃiːt /

noun

1. a waterproof rubber, plastic, or polythene sheet placed on the ground in a tent, etc, to keep out damp

2. a similar sheet put over a sports field to protect it against rain

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Etymology

Origin of groundsheet

First recorded in 1905–10; ground ¹ + sheet ¹

Example Sentences

Today there was nothing but a square of soggy cardboard, apparently used as someone’s groundsheet, and the jacket of the golfing guide “Putting: The Game Within the Game.”

From The New Yorker • Sep. 8, 2016

A quinzee is a kind of igloo, built by piling snow on to rucksacks covered by a groundsheet.

From The Guardian • Feb. 19, 2016

I pitched my tent on some runs and while I was packing it away, they were running underneath the groundsheet and hiding.

From BBC • May 12, 2011

Then spread out a groundsheet of canvas, plastic, or spare clothing.

From Time Magazine Archive

Because the nights were cold, and because the monsoons were wet, each carried a green plastic poncho that could be used as a raincoat or groundsheet or makeshift tent.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien