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Tar vs Coal - What's the difference?

tar | coal |

In uncountable terms the difference between tar and coal

is that tar is a solid residual byproduct of tobacco smoke while coal is a black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel.

In transitive terms the difference between tar and coal

is that tar is to besmirch while coal is to supply with coal.

As a proper noun Tar

is a village in Hungary.

tar

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) . More at tree.

Noun

(en noun)
  • (uncountable) A black, oily, sticky, viscous substance, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons derived from organic materials such as wood, peat, or coal.
  • Coal tar.
  • (uncountable) A solid residual byproduct of tobacco smoke.
  • (slang, dated) A sailor, because of their tarpaulin clothes. Also Jack Tar.
    • (Jonathan Swift)
  • black tar, a form of heroin
    • Derived terms
    * coal tar * mineral tar * tar board * Tar Heel * tar water * tarmacadam, tarmac * tarpaulin * wood tar

    Verb

  • To coat with tar.
  • To besmirch.
    • Although he was found innocent, the allegations had tarred his name.
    Derived terms
    * tar and feather * tar with the same brush

    Etymology 2

    Abbreviation of tape archive .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (computing) A program for archiving files, common on Unix.
  • (computing) A file produced by such a program.
    • Derived terms
    * (l)

    Verb

  • (computing) To create a tar archive.
    • Antonyms
    *

    Anagrams

    * * *

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (musical instruments) a Persian long-necked, waisted instrument, shared by many cultures and countries in the Middle East and the Caucasus

    • coal

    English

    (wikipedia coal)

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (uncountable) A black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel.
  • (countable) A piece of coal used for burning. Note that in British English either of the following examples could be used, whereas the latter would be more common in American English.
    • Put some coals on the fire.
    Put some coal on the fire.
  • (countable) A type of coal, such as bituminous, anthracite, or lignite, and grades and varieties thereof.
  • (countable) A glowing or charred piece of coal, wood, or other solid fuel.
    • Just as the camp-fire died down to just coals , with no flames to burn the marshmallows, someone dumped a whole load of wood on, so I gave up and went to bed.
  • Charcoal

    • Hyponyms

    * anthracite, bitumin

    Derived terms

    * bituminous coal, soft coal * brown coal * channel coal * coal ball * coal bed * coal black * coalboy * coal gas * coal hole * coal oil * coal tar * coal tit * coalmine, coal mine * coals to Newcastle * hard coal (see: anthracite) * white coal

    Related terms

    () * charcoal * colliery

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To take on a supply of coal (usually of steam ships).
  • * 1890 , (Oscar Wilde), The Picture of Dorian Gray , ch. XVI:
    • The light shook and splintered in the puddles. A red glare came from an outward-bound steamer that was coaling .
  • To be converted to charcoal.
  • * 1957 , H.R. Schubert, History of the British Iron and Steel Industry , p. 18:
    • As a result, particles of wood and twigs insufficiently coaled are frequently found at the bottom of such pits.
  • To burn to charcoal; to char.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • Charcoal of roots, coaled into great pieces.
  • To mark or delineate with charcoal.
    • (Camden)
  • To supply with coal.
    • to coal a steamer

    Anagrams

    *