tar

¹ American  

[tahr] / tɑr /

noun

1. any of various dark-colored viscid products obtained by the destructive distillation of certain organic substances, as coal or wood.

2. coal-tar pitch.

3. smoke solids or components.

   cigarette tar.

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verb (used with object)

tarred, tarring

1. to smear or cover with or as if with tar.

adjective

1. of or characteristic of tar.

2. covered or smeared with tar; tarred.

idioms

1. beat / knock / whale the tar out of, to beat mercilessly.

   The thief had knocked the tar out of the old man and left him for dead.

2. tar and feather,

   1. to coat (a person) with tar and feathers as a punishment or humiliation.

   2. to punish severely.

      She should be tarred and feathered for what she has done.

3. tarred with the same brush, possessing the same shortcomings or guilty of the same misdeeds.

   The whole family is tarred with the same brush.

tar ² American  

[tahr] / tɑr /

noun

Informal: Older Use.

1. a sailor.

   Synonyms:

   gob, seafarer

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tar ¹ British  

/ tɑː /

noun

1. an informal word for seaman

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tar ² British  

/ tɑː /

noun

1. any of various dark viscid substances obtained by the destructive distillation of organic matter such as coal, wood, or peat

2. another name for coal tar

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verb

1. to coat with tar

2. to punish by smearing tar and feathers over (someone)

3. regarded as having the same faults

tar Scientific  

/ tär /

1. A dark, oily, viscous material, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons, produced by the destructive distillation of organic substances such as wood, coal, or peat.

2. See coal tar

3. A solid, sticky substance that remains when tobacco is burned. It accumulates in the lungs of smokers and is considered carcinogenic.

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tar More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing tar

• beat the living daylights (tar) out of

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Related Words

See sailor.

Other Word Forms

• nontarred adjective
• tarriness noun
• tarry adjective
• untarred adjective

Etymology

Origin of tar¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun ter, terr(e), Old English teru, teoru, taru; cognate with Dutch, German teer, Old Norse tjara; akin to tree; verb derivative of the noun

Origin of tar²

First recorded in 1670–80; perhaps short for tarpaulin

Example Sentences

He also sells Shilajit, which almost looks like tar.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

Pike perch tartare from Lake Oulujärvi rests on malt bread with capers and dill oil and a whisper of pine tar.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

Although researchers cannot determine exactly who left it, they believe it may have been pressed into the tar during a repair by a crew member.

From Science Daily • Feb. 16, 2026

“Zed still has a little tar still seeping from his skull,” said Lori Bettison-Varga, director, “but we’re going to show him off, anyway.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

When it was warm, the sun would soften the tar, which gave off a distinctive odor.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

Related Words

• besmirch
• blight
• cloud
• corrupt
• damage
• discredit
• harm
• hurt
• infect
• muddy
• poison
• pollute
• smear
• spoil
• stain
• sully
• tarnish