soot

noun

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\ ˈsu̇t

, ˈsət, ˈsüt

Definition of soot

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a black substance formed by combustion or separated from fuel during combustion, rising in fine particles, and adhering to the sides of the chimney or pipe conveying the smoke especially : the fine powder consisting chiefly of carbon that colors smoke

soot

verb

sooted; sooting; soots

Definition of soot (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to coat or cover with soot

Examples of soot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Video from KABC-TV Channel 7 showed a horse, smudged with black soot, trotting around the property after firefighters freed it from a building’s wreckage. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, "Two bodies at Ontario fireworks explosion tentatively identified, 100 homes still evacuated," 17 Mar. 2021 Stephanie Mockabee said that the fire Thursday evening was contained to the laundry room, but the large amount of soot forced out the residents. — William Sanders, Arkansas Online, "Shelter's laundry room catches fire," 6 Mar. 2021 Particulate pollution from vehicles and smokestacks is a familiar sight to city dwellers, in the form of that lacy black film of soot that settles on urban snowbanks after a blizzard. — Alissa Walker, Curbed, "Maybe You Should’ve Been Wearing a Mask in the Subway All Along," 16 Feb. 2021 The dark swirls in the molecular clouds are a mixture of carbon soot and similar aggregates of primordial minerals. — Harold Mcgee, WSJ, "What Does Outer Space Smell Like?," 24 Oct. 2020 Other times, particles affect the atmosphere by reflecting or absorbing sunlight, as when volcano eruptions or forest fires release soot into the air. — Tim Fernholz, Quartz, "This isn’t a UFO or a shooting star—it’s space pollution," 26 Mar. 2021 ApronThe grill master should always look the part — and keep their pants soot-free. — Lizzy Briskin, chicagotribune.com, "What you need to host a BBQ," 24 Mar. 2021 And diesel soot is wickedly difficult to economically control. — John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, "Every New 2021 Diesel for Sale in the U.S. Today," 6 Mar. 2021 Meanwhile, since Election Day the Trump administration has made dozens of new rules, including on access to asylum and a rejection of stricter limits for soot emissions. — Saphora Smith, NBC News, "Health care workers overwhelmed in Southern California & how some found hope in 2020: The Morning Rundown," 31 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'soot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.