oilcloth
noun
oil·cloth
ˈȯi(-ə)l-ˌklȯth 
: cloth treated with oil or paint and used for table and shelf coverings
Examples of oilcloth in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Passover Matzo Throw Pillow $40 $34 Zazzle Start with your tablecloth: Seder can be a slightly messy affair (at one point, we’re instructed to dip our fingers into wine and remove several drops), so something dark or with a pattern is best and oilcloth is a good pick for a kid’s table.
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Devra Ferst, Bon Appétit, 11 Apr. 2024
There were rolls of oilcloth to make table covers, spools of ribbons and bows to lend flair to gifts, fleece for blankets, foam for cushions, a spectrum of threads and rainbows of yarn.
—John Carlisle, Detroit Free Press, 25 Feb. 2024
Miller, who eventually won a Pulitzer Prize for his series of interviews with the doomed man, found Collins’ face covered by a small piece of oilcloth.
—Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 July 2023
Across the city, people stashed family heirlooms in cellars and buried them wrapped in oilcloth.
—New York Times, 17 Mar. 2020
The opening dining area features small tables sporting red-and-white-stripe oilcloth settings, a nostalgic detail from Cardoz’s childhood spent eating out with friends and family in Mumbai.
—Noor Brara, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2018
Devra Ferst, Bon Appétit, 11 Apr. 2024
There were rolls of oilcloth to make table covers, spools of ribbons and bows to lend flair to gifts, fleece for blankets, foam for cushions, a spectrum of threads and rainbows of yarn.
—John Carlisle, Detroit Free Press, 25 Feb. 2024
Miller, who eventually won a Pulitzer Prize for his series of interviews with the doomed man, found Collins’ face covered by a small piece of oilcloth.
—Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 July 2023
Across the city, people stashed family heirlooms in cellars and buried them wrapped in oilcloth.
—New York Times, 17 Mar. 2020
The opening dining area features small tables sporting red-and-white-stripe oilcloth settings, a nostalgic detail from Cardoz’s childhood spent eating out with friends and family in Mumbai.
—Noor Brara, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oilcloth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1796, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near oilcloth
Cite this Entry
“Oilcloth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oilcloth. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
oilcloth
noun
oil·cloth
ˈȯi(ə)l-ˌklȯth
: cloth treated with oil or paint so as to be waterproof and used for table and shelf coverings
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