tar 1
/tahr/ , n. , v. , tarred, tarring , adj.
n.
1. any of various dark-colored viscid products obtained by the destructive distillation of certain organic substances, as coal or wood.
2. coal-tar pitch.
3. smoke solids or components: cigarette tar.
4. beat, knock , or whale the tar out of , Informal. to beat mercilessly: The thief had knocked the tar out of the old man and left him for dead.
v.t.
5. to smear or cover with or as if with tar.
6. tar and feather ,
a. to coat (a person) with tar and feathers as a punishment or humiliation.
b. to punish severely: She should be tarred and feathered for what she has done.
adj.
7. of or characteristic of tar.
8. covered or smeared with tar; tarred.
9. tarred with the same brush , possessing the same shortcomings or guilty of the same misdeeds: The whole family is tarred with the same brush.
[ bef. 900; (n.) ME tarr ( e ), ter ( re ), OE teru; c. D, G teer, ON tjara; akin to TREE; (v.) ME terren, OE tierwian, deriv. of the n. ]
tar 2
/tahr/ , n. Informal.
a sailor.
[ 1740-50; perh. short for TARPAULIN ]
Syn . seafarer, gob. See sailor .