Tar , v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tarred (?);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Tarring.]
To smear with tar, or as with tar; as,
to tar ropes; to tar cloth.
To tar and feather a person. See under Feather,
v. t.
Tar , n. [OE.
terre, tarre, AS.
teru, teoru; akin to D. teer, G. teer, theer, Icel. tjara, Sw.
tjära, Dan. tiære, and to E. tree. √63. See Tree.]
A thick, black, viscous liquid obtained by the distillation of wood, coal, etc., and having a
varied composition according to the temperature and material employed in obtaining it.
Coal tar. See in the Vocabulary. -- Mineral tar (Min.),
a kind of
soft native bitumen. -- Tar board, a strong quality of millboard made from junk and old
tarred rope. Knight. -- Tar water. (a)
A cold infusion of tar in water,
used as a medicine. (b) The ammoniacal water of gas
works. -- Wood tar,
tar obtained from wood. It is
usually obtained by the distillation of the wood of the pine, spruce, or fir, and is used
in varnishes, cements, and to render ropes, oakum, etc., impervious to water.
Tar (?), n. [Abbrev. from tarpaulin.]
A sailor; a seaman. [Colloq.] Swift.
Hear it pronounced