tar sand
noun Geology.
bituminous sand or sandstone from which asphalt can be obtained.
Origin of tar sand
First recorded in 1895–1900
Words nearby tar sand
tar boy,
tar heel,
tar heel state,
tar pit,
tar river,
tar sand,
tar syndrome,
tara,
tara vine,
taraba,
tarabulus el gharb
British Dictionary definitions for tar sand
tar sand
noun
a sandstone in which hydrocarbons have been trapped; the lighter compounds evaporate, leaving a residue of asphalt in the rock pores