noun
Uncommon
tar
tah
Tar (noun) means a thick, dark, sticky substance made from coal or wood, used in roofing and road-making. Example: “Workers spread hot tar over the new road surface.”
noun
1
A thick, dark, sticky substance made from coal or wood, used in roofing and road-making.
"Workers spread hot tar over the new road surface."
"The smell of tar drifted from the road works down the street."
"Black tar stuck to the soles of his boots."
2
In computing, a program (and the archive file it creates) used to bundle multiple files together on Unix-based systems.
"He extracted the source code from the tar file."
"Use tar to pack the whole folder into a single file before uploading."
"The backup script creates a tar of all the project files every night."
verb
1
To coat something with tar.
"They tarred the roof to seal it against leaks."
"The fishermen tarred the bottom of their wooden boat every spring."
"He tarred the fence posts to protect them from the rain."
How to use tar
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA sticky black substance used in construction, or (in tech) a file archive format on Unix systems.
Common mistake
Don't confuse the computing "tar" file/program with the roofing material — context makes it obvious, but they're unrelated.
Common pairings
tar and feather
coal tar
tar file
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Word forms
- Plural
- tars
- Third person singular
- tars
- Past tense
- tarred
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Workers spread hot _____ over the new road surface.
Etymology
From Old English teoru, tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "tree" — tar was traditionally made by distilling pine and other tree resin.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for tar
See all rhymes for tar →Frequently asked questions
What does “tar” mean?
The word “tar” means a thick, dark, sticky substance made from coal or wood, used in roofing and road-making. In plain terms, a sticky black substance used in construction, or (in tech) a file archive format on Unix systems.
How do you pronounce “tar”?
“Tar” is pronounced tah (/tɑɹ/ in IPA).
How do you use “tar” in a sentence?
Here is “tar” used in a sentence: “Workers spread hot tar over the new road surface.”
What is the opposite of “tar”?
The opposite of “tar” — its antonyms — is untar.
What part of speech is “tar”?
Depending on how it is used, “tar” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “tar” come from?
The word “tar” comes from Old English. From Old English teoru, tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "tree" — tar was traditionally made by distilling pine and other tree resin.
Is “tar” a common word?
“Tar” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “tar” have?
“Tar” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a thick, dark, sticky substance made from coal or wood, used in roofing and road-making.
What is the difference between tar and tarmac?
Tar is the thick, dark, sticky substance made from coal or wood used in roofing and road-making, while tarmac is a manufactured paving material made by mixing tar or similar binders with crushed stone. Tarmac is the finished road surface; tar is one of the raw ingredients that can go into it.
What is a tar file used for in computing?
A tar file bundles multiple files and directories into a single archive on Unix-based systems, making them easier to store or move together. On its own, a tar archive doesn't compress the data — compression is usually added separately, as in a .tar.gz file.
What is the difference between tar and asphalt?
Tar is the sticky substance itself, made from coal or wood, while asphalt is a broader paving material that can include tar, bitumen, and aggregate. In everyday speech people often use the two words interchangeably for a dark road surface, but technically they refer to different materials and processes.
