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tar¹

  • /tɑː/ UK
  • /tɑɹ/ US
  • [tʰɑɻ] US
  • [tʰɑɹ] US
  • /tæːɹ/ Ireland

Sounds like (tar-tire-tower merger) tire, tyre, tower · Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)

Where it comes from

PIE word

*dóru

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *dóruder.

Proto-Germanic *terwą

Old English teoru

Middle English ter

English tar

From Middle English ter, terr, tarr, from Old English teoru, from Proto-West Germanic *teru, from Proto-Germanic *terwą, from Proto-Indo-European *derwo-, from *dóru (“tree”).

See also Saterland Frisian Taar, West Frisian tarre, tar, Dutch teer, German Teer; also Welsh derw (“oaks”), Lithuanian dervà (“pinewood, resin”), Russian де́рево (dérevo, “tree”), Bulgarian дърво́ (dărvó, “tree”). More at tree.

noun tars

  1. countable, uncountable, usually Coal tar.
  2. uncountable, usually (often typeset "tar" in USA) A solid residual byproduct of tobacco smoke.
  3. countable, dated, slang, uncountable A sailor (because of the traditional tarpaulin clothes). Shines in all climates like a star; In senates bold, and fierce in war; A land commander, and a tar.

    Similar: Jack Tar, Jack tar, jacktar, jack, tarpaulin

  4. abbreviation, ellipsis, uncountable Ellipsis of black tar heroin

verb tars · tarring · tarred

  1. transitive To coat with tar.
  2. transitive To besmirch. The allegations tarred his name, even though he was found innocent.

tar²

  • /tɑː/ UK
  • /tɑɹ/ US
  • [tʰɑɻ] US
  • [tʰɑɹ] US
  • /tæːɹ/ Ireland

Sounds like (tar-tire-tower merger) tire, tyre, tower · Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)

Where it comes from

Abbreviation of tape archive.

noun tars

  1. A program for archiving files, common on Unix systems.
  2. A file produced by such a program.

verb tars · tarring · tarred

  1. transitive To create a tar archive.

Opposite: untar

tar³

  • /tɑː/ UK
  • /tɑɹ/ US
  • [tʰɑɻ] US
  • [tʰɑɹ] US
  • /tæːɹ/ Ireland

Sounds like (tar-tire-tower merger) tire, tyre, tower · Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Persian تار (târ). Doublet of tantra.

noun tars · tār

  1. A Persian long-necked, waisted string instrument, shared by many cultures and countries in the Middle East and the Caucasus. MOHAMMAD REZA SHAJARIAN (Thursday) Renowned in his native Iran, the vocalist Mohammad Reza Shajarian has been performing since the 1960s, and is now widely considered one of the finest classical Persian singers in the world. Mr. Shajarian’s son, Homayoun Shajarian, will provide additional vocals and

tar⁴

  • /tɑː/ UK
  • /tɑɹ/ US
  • [tʰɑɻ] US
  • [tʰɑɹ] US
  • /tæːɹ/ Ireland

Sounds like (tar-tire-tower merger) tire, tyre, tower · Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Arabic طار (ṭār).

noun tars

  1. A single-headed round frame drum originating in North Africa and the Middle East.

tar⁵

  • /tɑː/ UK
  • /tɑɹ/ US
  • [tʰɑɻ] US
  • [tʰɑɹ] US
  • /tæːɹ/ Ireland

Sounds like (tar-tire-tower merger) tire, tyre, tower · Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)

noun tars

  1. alternative Alternative form of tara (“Indian coin”).

TAR⁶

proper noun

  1. abbreviation, initialism, sometimes, with the Initialism of Tibet Autonomous Region, an administrative region of China.

Tar⁷

proper noun

  1. A village in Hungary.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: asphalt, jack-tar, gob, seafarer, mariner, pitch, seaman, old salt, sea dog, bitumen, petroleum, bituminous, sand, char, oil, distillation

verb

Opposite: untar

Translations

Every language

noun substance

Españolalquitrán, galipote, chapopote, chapapote
한국어수지 suji, 타르 tareu
日本語乾留液 kanryūeki, タール tāru
中文焦油 jiāoyóu
हिन्दीतारकोल tārkol
Portuguêsalcatrão
Françaisgoudron
DeutschTeer
Italianocatrame, bitume
Ελληνικάπίσσα píssa, κατράμι katrámi
Românăgudron
Русскийдёготь djógotʹ, гудро́н gudrón, смола́ smolá
Tiếng Việthắc ín
العربيةقَطْرَان qaṭrān
עבריתזֶפֶת zéfet

noun coal tar

Españolalquitrán, chapopote bituminoso, chapopote hullero, alquitrán carbonoso
Portuguêsalcatrão
Italianocatrame
Ελληνικάπίσσα píssa
Русскийсмола́ smolá, каменноу́гольная смола́ kamennoúgolʹnaja smolá

noun byproduct of tobacco smoke

Españolalquitrán
日本語脂 yani
中文焦油 jiāoyóu
Portuguêsalcatrão
Françaisgoudron
DeutschTeer
Italianocatrame
Ελληνικάπίσσα píssa
Русскийсмола́ smolá

noun sailor

Portuguêsmarujo
DeutschTeerjacke
Italianomarinaio

verb to coat with tar

Españolalquitranar
Portuguêsalcatroar
Deutschteeren
Italianocatramare, incatramare, calafatare, bitumare
Ελληνικάπισσώνω pissóno
Русскийма́зать дёгтем mázatʹ djógtem
עבריתזִפֵּת zipét

noun a file produced by an archiving program

Portuguêstar

noun Persian musical instrument

Русскийтар tar

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"tar." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tar. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

tar. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tar

Chicago

"tar." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tar.

BibTeX
@misc{tar_2026,
  title = {tar},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tar},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}