tar ball

noun

1. a lump or blob of solidified tar resulting from an oil spill, natural seepage from the sea, or other source, that resists biodegradation and often washes up on beaches.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tar ball¹

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

It recommended washing with soap and water in case of contact with oil or a tar ball.

From Seattle Times

The works include the 4-foot-tall “Tar Ball” that Michigan artist Levester Williams created from unwashed bedsheets he got from a Virginia prison.

From Wall Street Journal

Cleanup crews have responded to reports of tar balls as far away as Orange County, and one tar ball recovered in Manhattan Beach had the same oil “DNA” as the oil spilled at Refugio, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The tar ball "fingerprint" analysis was conducted by scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts and the University of California at Santa Barbara, Plains spokeswoman Meredith Matthews said.

From Reuters

Separately, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported on Monday that its own analysis of a Manhattan Beach tar ball sample showed a match with the Santa Barbara spill.

From Reuters