Main Entry:

¹cre·o·sote

Pronunciation:

\ˈkrē-ə-ˌsōt\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

German Kreosot, from Greek kreas flesh + sōtēr preserver, from sōzein to preserve, from sōs safe (probably akin to Sanskrit tavīti he is strong); from its antiseptic properties — more at raw

Date:

1835

1 : a clear or yellowish flammable oily liquid mixture of phenolic compounds obtained by the distillation of tar derived from wood and especially from beech wood 2 : a brownish oily liquid consisting chiefly of aromatic hydrocarbons obtained by distillation of coal tar and used especially as a wood preservative 3 : a dark brown or black flammable tar deposited from especially wood smoke on the walls of a chimney 4 : creosote bush