topcloth

plural topcloths · alternative top-cloth

1. A cloth used to cover the top of anything, such as a table or a person's torso.

   On one table, for example, we placed a silver topcloth over a rose cotton undercloth.

   1992, Renny Reynolds, Elaine Louie, The Art of the Party: Design Ideas for Successful Entertaining

   1 more example

   In the market Nwibe's wife hurriedly removes her topcloth to cover her husband: behaviour that would be mad in many a non-African context.

   2002, Harold Bloom, Chinua Achebe's Things fall apart, page 79

2. nauticalA piece of canvas used to cover the hammocks which are lashed to the top in action to protect the topmen.