ENGLISH
REFERENCE

linoleum

n.
US //ɫəˈnoʊɫiəm// UK //lɪnˈəʊliːəm// linoleum
Synonyms
Origin

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

© 2026 English Reference