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coal tar
noun
: tar obtained by distillation of bituminous coal and used especially as an industrial fuel, in making dyes, and in the topical treatment of skin disorders
Examples of coal tar in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The contaminants included untreated sewage, which caused cholera and typhoid outbreaks that claimed thousands of lives, and coal tar.
—Rana Hajirasouli, Harvard Business Review, 27 June 2024
As for the coal tar, a discovery that it could be distilled into the building blocks of synthetic dyes caused businesses to stop dumping it into the river and instead repurpose it into valuable dye compounds.
—Rana Hajirasouli, Harvard Business Review, 27 June 2024
Once the steamrollers evened out the crushed limestone track, a final coat of a coal tar binding agent was applied and the track was ready for racing.
—Dawn Mitchell, The Indianapolis Star, 22 May 2024
Vogel pointed out the swirls of coal tar, and other inky substances, streaming by on the surface of the canal like galaxies.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1785, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near coal tar
Cite this Entry
“Coal tar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coal%20tar. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
coal tar
noun
: tar obtained from bituminous coal and used especially in making drugs and dyes
Medical Definition
coal tar
noun
: tar obtained by distillation of bituminous coal and used in the treatment of some skin diseases by direct local application to the skin
More from Merriam-Webster on coal tar
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about coal tar
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