linoleum

noun

li·​no·​leum lə-ˈnō-lē-əm How to pronounce linoleum (audio)
-ˈnōl-yəm
often attributive
1
: a floor covering made by laying on a burlap or canvas backing a mixture of solidified linseed oil with gums, cork dust or wood flour or both, and usually pigments
2
: a material similar to linoleum

Examples of linoleum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In my case: in a sage green uniform with a lanyard and a broom, sweeping up the linoleum floors of a Philadelphia elementary school. TIME, 9 Feb. 2024 The sleek model works on wood, linoleum, tile, and cement floors and comes in five polished colors: black, silver, matte black, rose gold, sea glass, and white. Wendy Vazquez, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Jan. 2024 To create a roller heavy enough to push the paint over such a large surface, Marshall added weight plates to a cast-iron roller typically used to install linoleum flooring. Kerry James Marshall, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023 Throw away any wet boxes. 4 Scrub flooring Vinyl tile, linoleum and other hard surfaces can be scrubbed with a solution of no more than one cup of chlorine bleach to one gallon of water. Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2024 Dilute it and use it to clean flooring materials like tile, linoleum, vinyl, and other hard flooring. Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2023 It was built in the ‘70s, poorly remodeled in the ‘90s, minimally touched after that (new paint and new carpet mostly), and had lots of carpet and linoleum. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023 Dogs skidding across linoleum kitchen floors are good for business. Alex Thomas, The New Republic, 13 July 2023 If they were placed on, say, a linoleum floor before being replanted, the three-year waiting period would have to be restarted. Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'linoleum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin linum flax + oleum oil — more at oil

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of linoleum was in 1878

Dictionary Entries Near linoleum

Cite this Entry

“Linoleum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/linoleum. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

linoleum

noun
li·​no·​leum lə-ˈnō-lē-əm How to pronounce linoleum (audio)
-ˈnōl-yəm
: a floor covering with a canvas back and a surface of hardened linseed oil and usually cork dust

More from Merriam-Webster on linoleum

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!