TARPAULIN Meaning of TARPAULIN in English n.1 heavy-duty waterproof cloth esp. of tarred canvas. 2 a sheet or covering of this. 3 a a sailor's tarred or oilskin hat. b archaic a sailor. Etymology: prob. f. TAR(1) + PALL(1) + -ING(1) Oxford English vocab. Оксфордский английский словарь. 2012