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
b
: tonneau cover
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.
When lowered, the roof folds neatly under a tonneau behind the car’s two seats. — Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 At first glance, the three-part tonneau case sits with conservative propriety on the wrist. — Richard Mille Contributor, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Is the Tonneau Tent that much more convenient than carrying a basic $100 to $600 pickup truck tent and installing a standard tonneau? — New Atlas, 9 Jan. 2026 There are four models to choose from, with tonneau or round cases ranging from 43 mm to 33 mm, with or without diamonds, priced from $14,800 to $22,900. — Carol Besler, Robb Report, 6 Feb. 2026 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

Phrases Containing tonneau

Rhymes for tonneau

See All Rhymes for tonneau

Browse Nearby Words

tonne
tonneau
tonneau cover
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tonneau.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tonneau. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All