adjective
tarry
Covered with or resembling tar.
A thick, tarry residue coats the inside of the pipe.
Etymology
The adjective is formed from tar with -y. It directly describes a coating or resemblance to the dark sticky substance.
More examples
- The workers scrape tarry buildup from the chimney.
- Tarry patches on the beach stick to our shoes.
- He wipes his tarry gloves on an old rag.
Forms
tarry
tar noun — A thick, dark substance used for waterproofing.
Similar words
- sticky
- Emphasizes clinging to surfaces, not resemblance to tar.
- resinous
- Resembles tree resin rather than tar, often with stickiness.