tar

[ tahr ]

/ tɑr /

noun

any of various dark-colored viscid products obtained by the destructive distillation of certain organic substances, as coal or wood.

coal-tar pitch.

smoke solids or components: cigarette tar.

verb (used with object), tarred, tar·ring.

to smear or cover with or as if with tar.

adjective

of or characteristic of tar.

covered or smeared with tar; tarred.

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Idioms for tar

beat/knock/whale the tar out of, Informal. to beat mercilessly: The thief had knocked the tar out of the old man and left him for dead.

tar and feather,

to coat (a person) with tar and feathers as a punishment or humiliation.
to punish severely: She should be tarred and feathered for what she has done.

tarred with the same brush, possessing the same shortcomings or guilty of the same misdeeds: The whole family is tarred with the same brush.

Origin of tar

before 900; (noun) Middle English tarr(e), ter(re), Old English teru; cognate with Dutch, German teer, Old Norse tjara; akin to tree; (v.) Middle English terren, Old English tierwian, derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM tar

non·tarred, adjective un·tarred, adjective

Words nearby tar

tapster, tapu, taqiyah, taqlid, taqueria, tar, tar and feather, tar baby, tar ball, tar boy, tar heel

Definition for tar (2 of 2)

tar ²

[ tahr ]

/ tɑr /

noun Informal.

a sailor.

Origin of tar

First recorded in 1740–50; perhaps short for tarpaulin

SYNONYMS FOR tar

seafarer, gob. See sailor.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR tar ON THESAURUS.COM

Example sentences from the Web for tar

The State Department found that with high oil prices, the tar sands would be mined for oil, pipeline or no.

Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4 |PunditFact.com |January 5, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Pulling oil from the tar sands is costly, even more so when you tack transportation costs on top.

Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4 |PunditFact.com |January 5, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Therefore, we should—you guessed it—develop the Canadian tar sands and build the Keystone pipeline.

How Canadian Oilmen Pinkwash the Keystone Pipeline |Jay Michaelson |December 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It would transport bitumen and liquefied natural gas drawn from the tar sands to refineries on the Gulf Coast, mainly in Texas.

The Pipeline From Hell: There’s No Good Reason to Build Keystone XL |Jack Holmes |November 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

The sun is setting as we pass over the open mines of the tar sands.

Our Trip to The Climate War's Ground Zero |Darren Aronofsky |September 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But to return to our dialogue: "Excuse me, sir," said the clerk, "did you say your name is spelt with Dar or Tar?"

The Cross of Berny |Emile de Girardin
Even this did not waken him, though he thought he was back at the shack by the tar kiln.

Ralph Granger's Fortunes |William Perry Brown
The ends of the props or poles are either dipped in tar, or charred, to prevent their rotting.

A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines |Andrew Ure
By means of this tar paper and some of these broken boards we will start a fire.

The Bail Jumper |Robert J. C. Stead
At the same time, some one kindled a fire under a kettle filled with tar, and in a few minutes, they were smearing him with it.

Vandemark's Folly |Herbert Quick

British Dictionary definitions for tar (1 of 2)

tar ¹

/ (tɑː) /

noun

any of various dark viscid substances obtained by the destructive distillation of organic matter such as coal, wood, or peat

another name for coal tar

verb tars, tarring or tarred (tr)

to coat with tar

tar and feather to punish by smearing tar and feathers over (someone)

tarred with the same brush regarded as having the same faults

Derived forms of tar

tarry, adjective tarriness, noun

Word Origin for tar

Old English teoru; related to Old Frisian tera, Old Norse tjara, Middle Low German tere tar, Gothic triu tree

British Dictionary definitions for tar (2 of 2)

tar ²

/ (tɑː) /

noun

an informal word for seaman

Word Origin for tar

C17: short for tarpaulin

Scientific definitions for tar

tar

[ tär ]

A dark, oily, viscous material, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons, produced by the destructive distillation of organic substances such as wood, coal, or peat.

See coal tar.

A solid, sticky substance that remains when tobacco is burned. It accumulates in the lungs of smokers and is considered carcinogenic.

Idioms and Phrases with tar

tar

In addition to the idiom beginning with tar

tar and feather

also see:

beat the living daylights (tar) out of

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tar

noun