nappe

tablecloth

noun nap Rare

Also means

sheet of water, water table

Usage Note

Nappe most commonly means tablecloth in everyday life, but in geography and geology it refers to a large sheet — nappe phréatique is the water table, and nappe de pétrole is an oil slick. The word is also used for nappe de brouillard (blanket of fog).

Examples

"Elle a mis une belle nappe blanche sur la table."

Natural Translation

She put a beautiful white tablecloth on the table.

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