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

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 Towering plumes of smoke, soot, and ash filled the skies and spread to communities hundreds of miles away like Santa Rosa, the site of last year’s Tubbs Fire, then the most destructive blaze in state history. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Deadly wildfires are still threatening Northern and Southern California," 12 Nov. 2018 That intangible authenticity that the story of the watch is reserved with that soot still in it. — Cam Wolf, GQ, "Steve McQueen’s Destroyed-in-a-Wildfire Rolex Is Going Up for Auction," 5 June 2018 As the city expanded and industrialized, its churches and monuments became blackened with soot and grime; its quays, cluttered with warehouses and frequented by prostitutes. — Molly Wizenberg, Town & Country, "Vintage Bordeaux," 14 Jan. 2013 Clean-air controls since the 1980s largely turned off the columns of black soot that used to rise from coal smokestacks. — John Raby, The Seattle Times, "Warnings over pollution met with a shrug in coal country," 3 Sep. 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.