Definition of "tar"

tar¹

/tɑː/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural tars
1. (usually uncountable) A black, oily, sticky, viscous substance, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons derived from organic materials such as wood, peat, or coal.
2. Coal tar.
3. (uncountable) A solid residual byproduct of tobacco smoke.
4. (slang, dated) A sailor, because of the traditional tarpaulin clothes.
  Quotations
  If there's one man that I admire, that man's a British tar.
  1915, W. McMann, “Our Picture Show”, in Western Evening Herald
  Shines in all climates like a star; In senates bold, and fierce in war; A land commander, and a tar.
  August 10 1723, Jonathan Swift, To Charles Mordaunt, Earl of Peterborough‎
5. (uncountable) Black tar, a form of heroin.
verb
third-person singular simple present tars, present participle tarring, simple past and past participle tarred
1. (transitive) To coat with tar.
2. (transitive) To besmirch.
  Quotations
  Dr. Sign: In fact, maybe you think I should get credit, but if I do, Dr. Frendall will be scorned. You know whyDr. Ellsworth: Yes, I know. Your critics will tar him with the same brush as you.
  1995, Paul Robinson, The Gate Contracts

tar²

/tɑː/

noun
plural tars
1. (computing) A program for archiving files, common on Unix systems.
2. (computing) A file produced by such a program.
verb
third-person singular simple present tars, present participle tarring, simple past and past participle tarred
1. (computing, transitive) To create a tar archive.

tar³

/tɑː/

noun
plural tars
1. A Persian long-necked, waisted string instrument, shared by many cultures and countries in the Middle East and the Caucasus.

tar⁴

/tɑː/

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