oilcloth

American  

[oil-klawth, -kloth] / ˈɔɪlˌklɔθ, -ˌklɒθ /

noun

plural

oilcloths

1. a cotton fabric made waterproof by being treated with oil and pigment, for use as tablecloths, shelf coverings, and the like.

2. a piece of this fabric.

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oilcloth British  

/ ˈɔɪlˌklɒθ /

noun

1. waterproof material made by treating one side of a cotton fabric with a drying oil, or a synthetic resin

2. another name for linoleum

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Etymology

Origin of oilcloth

First recorded in 1690–1700; oil + cloth

Explanation

Oilcloth is a type of cotton fabric that has a waterproof layer on one side. You'd be more likely to buy a tablecloth made of oilcloth than a dress. Your grandmother might have a brightly colored oilcloth on her kitchen table: it feels smooth as plastic on the top, but the bottom is nubby or soft, absorbent cotton. Oilcloth was once commonly used to make rain coats and tents, but its seams were never totally waterproof, so it was replaced by waxed canvas and other materials. Oilcloth got its name from the boiled linseed oil coating used to make it waterproof.

Example Sentences

“Swap out the linen cloth for a wipeable oilcloth when it’s time for the kids to do homework or an art project,” she advises.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 7, 2023

Apart from the boiler, other items on the tank include an oilcloth table cloth from the family's summer house, new Disney bedsheets for her children and a red blanket, she says.

From BBC • May 31, 2022

But, like the author, we snag on that Polish word, and its suggestion of cold oilcloth, garden tomatoes, and stove fumes.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 24, 2018

And if children spill, as children will, tables are lined with easy-to-clean flowered oilcloth imported from England.

From New York Times • Feb. 11, 2012

Ignatius pounded a paw into the oilcloth on the kitchen table.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole