tar

1 of 3

noun

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

tar

2 of 3

verb (1)

tarred; tarring

transitive verb

1
: to cover with tar
2
: to defile as if with tar
least tarred by the scandalNewsweek

tar

3 of 3

verb (2)

variants or tarre
tarred; tarring; tars or tarres

transitive verb

: to urge to action
usually used with on
Phrases
tar and feather
: to smear (a person) with tar and cover with feathers as a punishment or indignity
tar with the same brush
: to mark or stain with the same fault or characteristic

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 Web
Noun
The scanning process can sometimes go awry and tar innocent individuals as child abusers. Kashmir Hill, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2023 In any event, my penchant for ordering the most disgusting thing on the menu led me to an inedible monstrosity, a cow’s udder filled with sirop, a reduction of pears and apples with the viscosity of hot tar. Lucy Sante, The New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2023 Video from the scene shows traffic cones and warning signs posted around pools of tar that are covered with sand. Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023 The primary location of the tar has been along South Masselin Avenue near Olympic Boulevard in the Miracle Mile neighborhood. Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023 Traces of grinding and remnants of tar were also seen on the surface of the arrowhead, indicating that the object was probably used to attach to an arrow, said researchers. Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 7 Aug. 2023 Guerrero-Gonzalez and another gang detective, Noel Lopez, were indicted in 2021 in connection with the search of an East L.A. home that netted a haul of firearms including an assault rifle, a large amount of methamphetamine, black tar heroin and items used to bag and distribute drugs. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2023 These soy candles that are infused with pine, cedar and birch tar essential oils are the next best thing to being outside. Megan Stein, Peoplemag, 2 Aug. 2023 At city speeds, the sticky 40-series summer tires pound over tar strips that most other cars ignore, registering them with a bass-drum-like thud that reverberates through the cabin. Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 22 June 2023
Verb
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 Investment has dried up, regulators are cracking down, and the reputation of the businesses that remain standing has been tarred by association. WIRED, 27 Sep. 2023 Opponents of feminism in China have tarred the movement as pitching women above men. Siyi Zhao, New York Times, 6 Aug. 2023 The animosity toward Henrietta Maria took a familiar form, with critics tarring her as both cold and calculating and promiscuous and flighty. John Kelly, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2023 The opposition, meanwhile, has been divided and tarred by the past failures of the PAN and two other parties in the coalition. Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2023 Critics often tar him as a jet-setter, out of touch with the lives of ordinary people. Mark Landler, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Oct. 2022 Lawyers for the governor disagreed with the report’s conclusion, arguing that Boylan was not harmed severely enough by efforts to tar her name for those efforts to constitute retaliation. BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2021 See More

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.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English terr, tarr, from Old English teoru; akin to Old English trēow tree — more at tree entry 1

Verb (2)

Middle English terren, tarren, from Old English tyrwan

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tar was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near tar

Cite this Entry

“Tar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tar. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

tar

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a dark usually thick sticky liquid obtained by distilling wood, coal, or peat
b
: a substance that resembles tar
especially : a sticky substance that is formed by burning tobacco
2
: sailor
tarlike
-ˌlīk
adjective

tar

2 of 2 verb
tarred; tarring
: to smear with or as if with tar

Medical Definition

tar

noun
1
: 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)

Geographical Definition

Tar

geographical name

river 215 miles (346 kilometers) long in northeastern North Carolina see pamlico

More from Merriam-Webster on tar

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