soot

noun

\ 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

The paintings first started in the 1800s when women in the village painted floral displays to cover up the soot caused by smoky stoves. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "The 25 most colorful cities in the world," 19 Feb. 2019 Geologic and historic evidence indicate that climate change has been happening repeatedly, long before humans were generating measurable levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide and soot. — WSJ, "Debating the Carbon Tax Dividend Strategy," 24 Jan. 2019 The ice in Greenland is also getting darker, as soot carried through the air and microorganisms like algae coat the ice. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Greenland’s ice sheet is melting at its fastest rate in centuries," 8 Dec. 2018 Video posted online that purported to record the aftermath and which couldn't immediately be verified, showed a thick column of flame and soot rising into the night sky near a factory building and several vehicles burning long the side of the road. — Josh Chin, WSJ, "Truckload of Acetylene Explodes Near Chemical Factories in China," 28 Nov. 2018 Urban dwellers who encounter daily pollution (hello, car exhaust, soot, and smog) would do well to keep a daily protective skin treatment close at hand. — Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, "9 Fall Skin-Care Products For a Filter-Free Glow," 27 Sep. 2018 The second category is particulate matter, such as dust, dirt, soot, and smoke. — Korin Miller, SELF, "How to Stay Safe When Your City’s Air Quality Is Dangerous," 21 Aug. 2018 In 2017, there were 179 unhealthy soot days, up 85 percent from 97 in 2016. — Hope Yen, The Seattle Times, "Fact-checking President Trump on migrants, Saudis, Hispanic vote," 22 Oct. 2018 The resulting fuel also releases fewer pollutants like nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and soot. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Tonight a Virgin Atlantic 747 will fly on fuel made from industrial waste gas," 2 Oct. 2018

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.