tonneau

noun

ton·​neau ˈtä-ˌnō How to pronounce tonneau (audio) tə-ˈnō How to pronounce tonneau (audio)
plural tonneaus
1
a
: a rear seating compartment of an automobile
also : the entire seating compartment
2
: a shape of watch case or dial resembling a barrel in profile

Examples of tonneau in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The original tonneau case was embellished with 42 dazzling diamonds for 6.80 carats in the new Diamond Queen on-demand timepiece set on a rubber strap. Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019 When lowered, the roof folds neatly under a tonneau behind the car’s two seats. Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 Aged in non-toasted tonneau, this Malvasia is typical of the region with good body and roundness. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025 The magazine re-ran the tonneau testing at 65 miles per hour instead and saw significant gains. Bradley Brownell / Jalopnik, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for tonneau

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, tun, from Old French tonel — more at tunnel entry 1

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tonneau was in 1901

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tonneau.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tonneau. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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