tar
tar Lexical Profile
tar Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A dark, thick, flammable liquid distilled from wood or coal, consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons, resins, and other compounds, primarily used for paving roads or waterproofing.
"The construction crew heated the tar until it was viscous enough to spread over the new roof."
A toxic, sticky, brown or black substance formed by burning tobacco, which accumulates in the lungs of smokers.
"Modern cigarette filters are designed to capture some of the tar before it enters the respiratory system."
An informal or historical term for a sailor in the merchant or naval service.
"The old tar sat on a barrel by the docks, spinning elaborate yarns about his decades at sea."
• verb
To cover or coat a surface with tar, often for the purpose of waterproofing or paving.
"They had to tar the driveway during the hottest days of summer so the surface would set properly."
To unfairly characterize, judge, or defame someone based on a negative trait, or by associating them with the actions of a broader group.
"He was completely innocent, yet he was tarred by the corruption scandal that disgraced the rest of his department."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a verb, it is frequently used metaphorically in the idiom 'tarred with the same brush' to indicate that someone is unfairly associated with the negative traits or wrongdoings of a group.
• Rhymes for tar
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'teoru' or 'teru', meaning 'resin, pitch, or tar', derived from the Proto-Germanic '*terw-', which denoted the resin of trees. The secondary noun meaning 'sailor' is an 18th-century abbreviation of 'tarpaulin', referring to the sailors' tar-coated waterproof clothing.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.