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tar ball

American  

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.

Etymology

Origin of tar ball

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From Seattle Times • Jul. 2, 2021

Even so, he says, the occasional tar ball on the beach is “more of an aesthetic problem than a health problem.”

From Newsweek • Aug. 22, 2010

One of our friends was on Dauphin Island when the tar ball washed up.

From New York Times • Jun. 2, 2010

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.