coal-tar creosote

9.1

A dark oily liquid made from coal tar that protects wood from rot and insects

noun
/koʊl tɑr ˈkriːoʊsoʊt/

Specialized

: creosota de hulla

Old railroad ties were treated with coal-tar creosote to prevent rot and insect damage.

Examples

Traditionally, coal-tar creosote was applied to utility poles to prolong their lifespan.
The fence was treated with coal-tar creosote to prevent rotting.
Workers handling coal-tar creosote must wear protective gear due to its toxic properties.
He applied coal-tar creosote to the wooden posts.
Old railroad ties were treated with coal-tar creosote to prevent rot and insect damage.
Traditionally, coal-tar creosote was applied to utility poles to prolong their lifespan.
Workers handling coal-tar creosote must wear protective gear due to its toxic properties.

Synonyms

creosote

vscoal-tar creosote

Specialized

4 9.0

A dark oily liquid from wood or coal tar used to keep wood from rotting and sometimes to treat wounds

is made only by distilling coal tar and mainly used to preserve wood

Surface Forms

coal-tar creosote singular

coal-tar creosotes plural

Morphology

coal-tar + creosote

This is a transparent modifier+noun compound where 'coal-tar' specifies the source of 'creosote', so a learner who knows 'coal-tar' (tar from coal) and 'creosote' (an oily wood preservative) can infer it means the creosote obtained from coal tar used to protect wood. The compositional pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, making the overall meaning directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Coal-tar creosote names the dark, oily liquid made when people heat coal and collect the sticky tar, and wood was soaked in that oil to keep water, insects, and rot away. That's why the term means 'a wood preservative' today.