1
a
: a dark brown or black bituminous usually odorous viscous liquid obtained by destructive distillation of organic material (such as wood, coal, or peat)
b
: a substance in some respects resembling tar
especially
: a condensable residue present in smoke from burning tobacco that contains combustion by-products (such as resins, acids, phenols, and essential oils)
2
[short for tarpaulin]
: sailor
tarred; tarring
1
: to cover with tar
2
: to defile as if with tar
least tarred by the scandal—
Newsweek
NewsweekSynonyms
Examples of tar in a Sentence
Noun
a book about the adventurous lives of tars, skippers, and pirates of the 18th century
Recent Examples on the WebJennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 6 Sep. 2023
Roughly 1,050 pounds of oily waste, sand and tar balls were also removed from the shoreline, and one aquatic diving bird with oil on it was recovered, according to the Coast Guard.
—Taylor Romine, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024
Rich and delicate and complex aromas of red and black cherries and tartan biscuits, mocha and tar.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
Although the official cleanup effort has been completed, tar balls continued to wash up Monday on the sand in Huntington Beach, including at the popular dog beach.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
Sometimes, shampoos with tar are enough to manage and prevent flares of seborrheic dermatitis symptoms.
—Amanda Gardner, Health, 4 Mar. 2024
On the exterior, the house is characterized by the use of tar and gravel roofing.
—Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024
The researchers think animals fell into the cave system and were preserved by oil and tar that seeped in, encasing them.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2024
Schmidt said that Neanderthals were already known to have made an adhesive from birch tar, which involved several steps to produce from tree bark by distillation.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024
Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Unfortunately, this has now tarred his once impeccable reputation.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024
The Red Scare and McCarthy era—when U.S. officials attacked artists, writers, and filmmakers tarred as communist sympathizers—exposed the dangers of government intruding into the realms of art and creativity.
—Suzanne Nossel, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024
For a platform provider like Google that seeks to stay above the fray, Pichai recognized the risks of being tarred with the same brush as many partisan cable media outlets and daily newspapers.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024
The Obama-era loan office was tarred by accusations of cronyism; dollars had a way of going to the politically connected.
—Kimberley A. Strassel, WSJ, 23 Nov. 2023
However, Republicans run the risk of achieving precisely the opposite goal of politically tarring, feathering, and trying to remove the president.
—Max Thornberry, Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2023
Taking a page from recent coups in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger’s new military leaders have tarred the country’s democratic leaders as too closely linked with France and promoted a populist message calling for the departure of the French military and diplomats from the region.
—Rachel Chason, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
None of us were tarred and feathered for simply asking the question.
—Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Nov. 2023
Noun
Their analysis revealed traces of oils or tars from juniper, cypress, or cedar; various resins, including some from Pistacia trees; and animal fats, beeswax, and plant oils.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 6 Sep. 2023
Roughly 1,050 pounds of oily waste, sand and tar balls were also removed from the shoreline, and one aquatic diving bird with oil on it was recovered, according to the Coast Guard.
—Taylor Romine, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024
Rich and delicate and complex aromas of red and black cherries and tartan biscuits, mocha and tar.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
Although the official cleanup effort has been completed, tar balls continued to wash up Monday on the sand in Huntington Beach, including at the popular dog beach.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024
Sometimes, shampoos with tar are enough to manage and prevent flares of seborrheic dermatitis symptoms.
—Amanda Gardner, Health, 4 Mar. 2024
On the exterior, the house is characterized by the use of tar and gravel roofing.
—Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024
The researchers think animals fell into the cave system and were preserved by oil and tar that seeped in, encasing them.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2024
Schmidt said that Neanderthals were already known to have made an adhesive from birch tar, which involved several steps to produce from tree bark by distillation.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
Last week a man with an airsoft gun hijacked a Metro bus, and the transit system has been tarred with news reports of random crimes, though data show that violent crime on the system has been ticking downward.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Unfortunately, this has now tarred his once impeccable reputation.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024
The Red Scare and McCarthy era—when U.S. officials attacked artists, writers, and filmmakers tarred as communist sympathizers—exposed the dangers of government intruding into the realms of art and creativity.
—Suzanne Nossel, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024
For a platform provider like Google that seeks to stay above the fray, Pichai recognized the risks of being tarred with the same brush as many partisan cable media outlets and daily newspapers.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024
The Obama-era loan office was tarred by accusations of cronyism; dollars had a way of going to the politically connected.
—Kimberley A. Strassel, WSJ, 23 Nov. 2023
However, Republicans run the risk of achieving precisely the opposite goal of politically tarring, feathering, and trying to remove the president.
—Max Thornberry, Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2023
Taking a page from recent coups in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger’s new military leaders have tarred the country’s democratic leaders as too closely linked with France and promoted a populist message calling for the departure of the French military and diplomats from the region.
—Rachel Chason, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
None of us were tarred and feathered for simply asking the question.
—Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tar
Cite this Entry
“Tar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tar. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tar
2 of 2 verb
tarred; tarring
: to smear with or as if with tar
Medical Definition
tar
noun1
: any of various dark brown or black bituminous usually odorous viscous liquids obtained by destructive distillation of organic material (as wood, coal, or peat)
especially
: one used medicinally (as to treat skin diseases) see coal tar, juniper tar, pine tar
2
: a substance in some respects resembling tar
especially
: a condensable residue present in smoke from burning tobacco that contains combustion by-products (as resins, acids, phenols, and essential oils)
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