ground cloth

noun

1. groundsheet.
2. a covering, usually of canvas, for the floor of a stage.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ground cloth¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

At 91, he brought a ground cloth to kneel on as his wife, Rose, pulled the noble back slightly to help keep open the hand-sawn cut.

From Seattle Times

“I only need enough for a week or so. But I need to borrow a sleeping skin and ground cloth. I’ll mail them back when I get where I’m going. “They’re a wedding present.’’

From Literature

We were going to be around a rocky area that night with plenty of opportunities to create shelter with just a ground cloth, so we decided not to take a tent & save some weight.

From New York Times

Marcel’s laughter was like a painter’s ground cloth that protects the furniture and anything else under a ceiling being painted.

From The New Yorker

Most usefully, keep a dry corner of your yard free of lawn, thick mulch or ground cloth.

From Washington Post