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''linoleum'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260822002005-00-⌔
linoleum - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
English
Noun
linoleum (countable and uncountable, plural linoleums)
- An inexpensive waterproof covering used especially for floors, made from solidified linseed oil over a burlap or canvas backing, or from its modern replacement, polyvinyl chloride.
- ✤ Synonym: (colloquial) lino
- ✤ The house seemed unfamiliar in the dark stormy light; the red and purple glass of the front door made livid bruises on the linoleum; the green chenille curtain was like a veil of seaweed.1
Etymology
From Latin līnum (“flax”) + oleum (“oil”). Coined by English manufacturer and inventor Frederick Walton c. 1864 and used as a trade name but never registered as a trademark. It was the first product whose name was ruled to be genericized.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA: /lɪˈnəʊli.əm/
- (US) IPA: /lɪˈnoʊli.əm/
- Audio (Southern England): 🔊
Printed 2026-08-22.
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Link to original Footnotes
1929, M. Barnard Eldershaw, A House is Built, Chapter VII, Section vi: ↩
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