linoleum
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
Those avocado green appliances, Formica countertops, and linoleum floors were just as crappy as they appear in those sitcom reruns.
From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026
Draw a line in the linoleum — and make sure he doesn’t cross it.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026
We got some nice new linoleum on the floor.’”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
“After so many disappointments over the years, it’s hard to believe that anything’s going to go right,” Sullivan said, later admitting that “I was convinced they were cuffed face-down on the linoleum somewhere.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025
They came running and jumping, across the threadbare carpet, to the linoleum, squealing, “I want a ride!”
From "Ralph S. Mouse" by Beverly Cleary
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.
