linoleum

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a durable floor covering traditionally made from solidified linseed oil on a canvas or similar backing

   A dark stain spread across the kitchen linoleum.

2. 2
   noun

   flooring that resembles traditional linoleum, especially resilient sheet flooring made from synthetic material

   The contractor replaced the cracked linoleum with a modern vinyl sheet.

Coined in the 1860s by English inventor Frederick Walton from Latin linum ("flax") + oleum ("oil"), because the original material used oxidized linseed oil. The trade name became generic for this type of resilient floor covering.

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