noun
creosote
Creosote (noun) means an oily, pale yellow liquid made by distilling wood tar, once used as a medicine.
noun
1
An oily, pale yellow liquid made by distilling wood tar, once used as a medicine.
2
A similar brownish liquid made from coal tar and used to protect wood from rot.
3
A shrub known as the creosote bush.
""King Clone," a creosote plant (Larrea tridentata) found in southwest California, was estimated in February 1980 by Prof. Frank C. Vasek to be 11,700 years old."
— Norris McWhirter, The Guinness Book of World Records 1997 (1997)
"On Shaw Butte, as elsewhere in the Phoenix area, creosotes are abundant, producing a plethora of small yellow flowers in late March and April."
— John Alcock, Sonoran Desert Summer (1994)
4
A black, brittle, flammable substance that builds up inside chimneys as wood burns.
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like creosote.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Etymology
From German Kreosot in the 1830s, coined in 1832 by German natural philosopher Carl Ludwig, Baron Reichenbach, from Ancient Greek κρέας (kréas, “flesh”) + σωτήρ (sōtḗr, “preserver”) for its use as an antiseptic and meat-preservative. The creosote bush was named after its scent. By surface analysis, containing creo-.
Rhymes for creosote
See all rhymes for creosote →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of creosote?
"creosote" (noun) means an oily, pale yellow liquid made by distilling wood tar, once used as a medicine.
What are the different meanings of creosote?
"creosote" has 3 main meanings: 1. An oily, pale yellow liquid made by distilling wood tar, once used as a medicine; 2. A similar brownish liquid made from coal tar and used to protect wood from rot; 3. A shrub known as the creosote bush.
