What does linoleum mean?
Word: Linoleum
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Linoleum means a strong, smooth covering for floors, sold in sheets.
Word origin: Coined in the 1860s by the English inventor Frederick Walton from two Latin words, linum and oleum.
How do you spell linoleum?
Syllables: li - no - le - um
Tricky part: The vowel before the um is the trap: said quickly, it sounds like an i, and students write linolium.
Watch out for: linolium, linoliem, linoleam
Memory tip: Picture the polished floor of a museum: the floor and the building finish alike.
Linoleum in a sentence
Example 1: The old school corridor still has its speckled green linoleum.
Example 2: Grandma mopped the kitchen linoleum until it shone.
Example 3: Bare feet stick to warm linoleum on a hot afternoon in May.
Fun Fact
Linoleum is often called the first product name to turn into an everyday word that any maker could use.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the option in which the following letters will fit in the given order:
i, o
a) p_r_chute
b) l_n_leum
c) m_l_dious
d) c_r_mony
Show answer
b) l_n_leum. Parachute needs a and a, ceremony e and e, and melodious e and o.
Word Champ
Read the three statements and choose the correct option:
1. Linoleum is a hard-wearing material often laid in kitchens. 2. A chandelier is a wooden frame for climbing plants. 3. A trellis is a light fitting that hangs from a ceiling.
a) only 1 is true
b) only 1 and 3 are true
c) all three are true
d) only 2 and 3 are true
Show answer
a) only 1 is true. Statements 2 and 3 have swapped their meanings: the frame is the trellis and the light is the chandelier.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
Linoleum was named from the Latin words linum and oleum. What did they mean?
a) flax and oil
b) wax and cork
c) wood and glue
d) tar and sand
Show answer
a) flax and oil. The material was made with linseed oil, and linseed comes from the flax plant.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
ulmoelni 12345678
a) 28176543
b) 26784513
c) 28746513
d) 28756314
Show answer
c) 28746513. One l starts the word and the other comes after the o; those are letters 2 and 6.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Why might a busy school canteen choose linoleum?
a) it is easy to wipe clean
b) it keeps the room warm in winter
c) it never needs to be replaced
d) it glows softly in the dark
Show answer
a) it is easy to wipe clean
2. New linoleum would most likely be laid by someone who usually fits ___.
a) ceiling fans and lights
b) roof gutters and pipes
c) carpets and floor tiles
d) window frames and locks
Show answer
c) carpets and floor tiles
