floorcloth

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a piece of cloth, oilcloth, or similar material used as a floor covering in place of or beneath a carpet

   A painted floorcloth protected the boards in the narrow hall.

2. 2
   noun

   a cloth or rag used for washing or wiping a floor

   She rinsed the floorcloth in the bucket before wiping the tiles again.

A compound of floor + cloth, recorded in the 18th century. It has named both a washable cloth used for cleaning and a durable textile or oilcloth laid over floorboards as an inexpensive covering.

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