creosote

American  

[kree-uh-soht] / ˈkri əˌsoʊt /

noun

1. an oily liquid having a burning taste and a penetrating odor, obtained by the distillation of coal and wood tar, used mainly as a preservative for wood and as an antiseptic.

2. coal-tar creosote.

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verb (used with object)

creosoted, creosoting

1. to treat with creosote.

creosote British  

/ ˈkrɪəˌsəʊt, ˌkrɪəˈsɒtɪk /

noun

1. a colourless or pale yellow liquid mixture with a burning taste and penetrating odour distilled from wood tar, esp from beechwood, contains creosol and other phenols, and is used as an antiseptic

2. Also called: coal-tar creosote.  a thick dark liquid mixture prepared from coal tar, containing phenols: used as a preservative for wood

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verb

1. to treat (wood) with creosote

creosote Scientific  

/ krē′ə-sōt′ /

1. A yellow or brown oily liquid obtained from coal tar and used as a wood preservative and disinfectant.

2. A colorless to yellowish oily liquid containing phenols, obtained by the destructive distillation of wood tar, especially from the wood of a beech, and formerly used as an expectorant in treating chronic bronchitis.

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Other Word Forms

• creosotic adjective
• uncreosoted adjective

Etymology

Origin of creosote

< German Kreosote (1832) < Greek kreo-, combining form of kréas flesh + sōtēr savior, preserver (in reference to its antiseptic properties)

Example Sentences

Members of the public lodged at least 25 formal complaints about a pungent smell, described as a mix of creosote and outdoor cleaning fluid.

From BBC • Jul. 17, 2025

Amid the Joshua trees and creosote bushes, she recorded the sounds of the makeshift foundry.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2024

“A professional chimney sweep can inspect your fireplace and chimney for any damage and clean out any soot or creosote buildup,” she says.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2023

The wood preservative creosote, which has been associated with an increased risk of contracting cancer, was used for more than 80 years at the site until the 1980s.

From Washington Times • Sep. 27, 2023

After McCandless bid farewell to Jan Burres at the Salton City Post Office, he hiked into the desert and set up camp in a brake of creosote at the edge of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer