groundsheet

[ ground-sheet ]

noun

1. a waterproof sheet of plastic, canvas, or other durable material spread on the ground, ground, as under a sleeping bag or in a tent, for protection against moisture.

groundsheet

/ ˈɡraʊndˌʃiːt /

noun

1. a waterproof rubber, plastic, or polythene sheet placed on the ground in a tent, etc, to keep out damp
2. a similar sheet put over a sports field to protect it against rain

Word History and Origins

Origin of groundsheet¹

First recorded in 1905–10; ground ¹ + sheet ¹

Example Sentences

We cleared a space on a groundsheet and pooled our commissary.

From Literature

A special waterproofing spray process meant that from the 1930s OS maps could be used as a groundsheet and a cape in the case of a sudden shower.

From BBC

Today there was nothing but a square of soggy cardboard, apparently used as someone’s groundsheet, and the jacket of the golfing guide “Putting: The Game Within the Game.”

From The New Yorker

We carried backpacks, sleeping bags, jackets, hats, a plastic groundsheet, a tarp in case of rain, a water filter and a tiny roll of duct tape for when things break.

From New York Times

A quinzee is a kind of igloo, built by piling snow on to rucksacks covered by a groundsheet.

From The Guardian