[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/tablecloth.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / tablecloth

[← T](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/T/)

# tablecloth

«tablecloth» in Mova's school dictionary: **a large piece of cloth that covers a table, especially…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a tablecloth, tablecloths)

### meaning for a pupil

A tablecloth is a large piece of cloth that covers a table, especially during meals, to protect it and make it look nice. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tablecloth/#m1)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life tablecloths are used for meals, parties and picnics; children may help lay or clear the table. In safety, small children can pull on a hanging tablecloth and bring hot drinks or heavy things down on themselves. In science «the tablecloth trick» (pulling it away quickly while dishes stay) shows inertia. Phrases: «lay a tablecloth», «a clean tablecloth», «the tablecloth trick».

### examples

- Put the tablecloth on before we lay the table. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tablecloth/#x1)
- I spilled juice on the white tablecloth. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tablecloth/#x2)
- Grandma's tablecloth has lace edges. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tablecloth/#x3)
- The magician pulled the tablecloth away and the plates stayed still. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tablecloth/#x4)
- Don't let the baby pull on the tablecloth; the teapot could fall. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tablecloth/#x5)
- We spread a tablecloth on the grass for our picnic. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tablecloth/#x6)
- After dinner, shake the crumbs off the tablecloth outside. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tablecloth/#x7)
- The tablecloth has a red and white checked pattern. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tablecloth/#x8)
- In the middle of the room there stood a little table, covered with a white tablecloth, and seven little plates and forks and spoons and knives and tumblers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tablecloth/#x9)

### note

Countable: «a tablecloth», plural «tablecloths». One word. The tablecloth trick works because of inertia: objects stay still unless a force acts on them long enough; do not try it with good dishes.

### In the corpora

- [A baby can pull a tablecloth and bring hot drinks or heavy pots down onto himself.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/112-sharp-things-and-little-ones/16/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «tablecloth» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tablecloth/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.