sooty

adjective \ ˈsu̇-tē , ˈsə- , ˈsü- \

Definition of sooty

sootier; sootiest

1 a :of, relating to, or producing soot

b :soiled with soot

2 :of the color of soot

—

sootily

play \ˈsu̇-tə-lē, ˈsə-, ˈsü-\ adverb

—

sootiness

play \ˈsu̇-tē-nəs, ˈsə-, ˈsü-\ noun

See sooty defined for kids

Recent Examples of sooty from the Web

London's naturally moist and foggy climate had also grown smoky and sooty from industrial pollution and widespread burning of coal.

— tom skilling, chicagotribune.com, "Ask Tom: Is 'smog' a combination of 'smoke' and 'fog'?," 30 Aug. 2017
Sooty mold grows on the excreta of insects; control both with a horticultural oil spray.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "September in the garden," 26 Aug. 2017
As a black, sooty rain fell from the mushroom cloud rising heavenward, people caught more directly by the heat of the bomb and the terrifying fire that immediately engulfed the city’s wooden houses fled from the city center.

— dominic gates, The Seattle Times, "A Hiroshima survivor carries on Seattle-born husband’s mission of remembrance," 4 Aug. 2017
Shannon Bridges got used to turning on the morning news and seeing the recording of her work from the previous night, her sooty pink helmet, bobbing in the background of wherever was the latest burning.

— Longreads, "The Arsonist Was Like a Ghost," 2 Aug. 2017
The valley’s air also still violates federal standards for sooty pollution that comes from industry, businesses and vehicles.

— scott smith, The Seattle Times, "California farm region plagued by dirty air looks to Trump," 20 July 2017
Another photo from a nearby apartment shows a sooty door with a large hole above the doorknob.

— CBS News, "Victims identified in deadly Hawaii highrise fire," 15 July 2017
The train, which carried passengers and freight, got its nickname from the sooty exhaust the steam engine belched forth, forming a black film on passengers' clothing.

— NOLA.com, "When Smoky Mary was queen of the Pontchartrain Railroad," 14 July 2017
Then there's the Graving Dock Tavern that served its last pint over a decade ago, but still soberly stands up aside the sooty verges.

— paul talling, CNN, "Silvertown: The derelict wasteland right under London's nose," 10 July 2017

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

First Known Use of sooty

13th century

SOOTY Defined for Kids

sooty

adjective \ ˈsu̇-tē , ˈsə- \

Definition of sooty for Students

sootier; sootiest

1 :covered with soot

sooty hands

2 :like soot in color

a sooty bird

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See words that rhyme with sooty Spanish Central: Translation of sooty Nglish: Translation of sooty for Spanish speakers

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sooty

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sootily

sootiness

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sooty

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sooty

Definition of sooty

sootily

sootiness

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