linoleum

Etymology

Coined by English inventor Frederick Walton c. 1864 from Latin līnum (“flax”) + oleum (“oil”). Used as a trade name but never registered as a trademark, it was the first product whose name was ruled to be genericized.

noun

1. An inexpensive waterproof covering used especially for floors, made from solidified linseed oil over a burlap or canvas backing, or from its modern replacement, polyvinyl chloride.
   The house seemed unfamiliar in the dark stormy light; the red and purple glass of the front door made livid bruises on the linoleum; the green chenille curtain was like a veil of seaweed. 1929, M. Barnard Eldershaw, A House Is Built, Chapter VII, Section vi