burlap

== English == === Etymology === Uncertain. Attested since about 1695 in the spelling bore-lap, borelapp. Likely from burel (“a coarse woollen cloth”) +‎ lap (“flap of a garment”), where the first element is from Middle English burel, borel. Others feel that "its character and time of appearance makes a Dutch origin very likely" (and the earliest references as to its importation from the Netherlands); the NED suggests derivation from Dutch boenlap (“coarse, rubbing linen or cloth”) with the first element perhaps confused with boer (“farmer, peasant”). Bense similarly suggests derivation from an unattested Dutch *boerenlap, where boeren would be used in the sense of “coarse” as in boerenkost (“coarse, heavy food as is eaten by farmers”) or boerenpraat (“coarse, rural speech”). === Pronunciation === (General American) IPA(key): /ˈbɝlæp/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈbɜːlæp/ === Noun === burlap (countable and uncountable, plural burlaps) (US) A very strong, coarse cloth, made from jute, flax, or hemp, and used to make sacks, etc. Synonyms: (UK) hessian, (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago) crocus ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === burlap (third-person singular simple present burlaps, present participle burlapping, simple past and past participle burlapped) (transitive) To wrap or cover in burlap. === See also === sackcloth === References ===