creosote
[ kree-uh-soht ]
/ ˈkri əˌsoʊt /
noun
an oily liquid having a burning taste and a penetrating odor, obtained by the distillation of coal and wood tar, used mainly as a preservative for wood and as an antiseptic.
verb (used with object), cre·o·sot·ed, cre·o·sot·ing.
to treat with creosote.
Origin of creosote
< German
Kreosote (1832) < Greek
kreo-, combining form of
kréas flesh +
sōtēr savior, preserver (in reference to its antiseptic properties)
OTHER WORDS FROM creosote
cre·o·sot·ic [kree-uh-sot-ik] /ˌkri əˈsɒt ɪk/, adjective un·cre·o·sot·ed, adjectiveWords nearby creosote
creolize,
creolized,
creon,
creophagous,
creosol,
creosote,
creosote bush,
crepe,
crepe de chine,
crepe hair,
crepe marocain
Example sentences from the Web for creosote
British Dictionary definitions for creosote
creosote
/ (ˈkrɪəˌsəʊt) /
noun
a colourless or pale yellow liquid mixture with a burning taste and penetrating odour distilled from wood tar, esp from beechwood, contains creosol and other phenols, and is used as an antiseptic
Also called: coal-tar creosote
a thick dark liquid mixture prepared from coal tar, containing phenols: used as a preservative for wood
verb
to treat (wood) with creosote
Derived forms of creosote
creosotic (ˌkrɪəˈsɒtɪk), adjectiveWord Origin for creosote
C19: from Greek
kreas flesh +
sōtēr preserver, from
sōzein to keep safe
Scientific definitions for creosote
creosote
[ krē′ə-sōt′ ]
A yellow or brown oily liquid obtained from coal tar and used as a wood preservative and disinfectant.
A colorless to yellowish oily liquid containing phenols, obtained by the destructive distillation of wood tar, especially from the wood of a beech, and formerly used as an expectorant in treating chronic bronchitis.