tarp

noun

ˈtärp 

plural tarps

: a piece of material (such as durable plastic or waterproofed canvas) used especially for protecting exposed objects or areas : tarpaulin

The crewmen competed for a place to stand beneath the small tarp that covered part of the narrow deck.

—Matt Potts

This house, half of it's all burned up. They live there, the burned part's covered with a tarp, with their dogs, and they must have at least ten.

—Katya Reno

Examples of tarp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Asked why the items would have been left in an outdoor dumpster ahead of a rainy weekend, a CPS spokesperson said employees had been placing a tarp over the dumpster. — Sara MacHi, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026

After Williams threw a brutal wild pitch, umpires called a rain delay, as the grounds crew came sprinting out with the tarp. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Of immediate concern was getting enough help to remove the massive tarp after Saturday’s rain. — James Raia, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026

Advertisement Do the same weekly sweep for flowerpot saucers, buckets, toys, tarps, and anything else that has collected water. — Angela Haupt, Time, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tarp

• carp
• harp
• scarp
• endocarp
• pericarp

Kids Definition

tarp

noun

ˈtärp 

: tarpaulin