Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A colorless to yellowish oily liquid containing phenols and creosols, obtained by the destructive distillation of wood tar, especially from the wood of a beech, and formerly used as an expectorant in treating chronic bronchitis.
  • noun A yellowish to greenish-brown oily liquid containing phenols and creosols, obtained from coal tar and used as a wood preservative and disinfectant. It can cause severe neurological disturbances if inhaled in strong concentrations.
  • transitive verb To treat or paint with creosote.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A substance first prepared from wood-tar, from which it is separated by repeated solution in potash, treatment with acids, and distillation.
  • To apply creosote or a solution of creosote to; treat with creosote: as, to creosote wood to prevent its decay.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Chem.) Wood-tar oil; an oily antiseptic liquid, of a burning smoky taste, colorless when pure, but usually colored yellow or brown by impurity or exposure. It is a complex mixture of various phenols and their ethers, and is obtained by the distillation of wood tar, especially that of beechwood.
  • noun (Chem.) a colorless or yellow, oily liquid, obtained in the distillation of coal tar, and resembling wood-tar oil, or creosote proper, in composition and properties.
  • transitive verb To saturate or impregnate with creosote, as timber, for the prevention of decay.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A pale yellow oily liquid, containing phenols and similar compounds, obtained by the destructive distillation of wood tar, once used medicinally.
  • noun A similar brown liquid obtained from coal tar used as a wood preservative.
  • noun uncountable The creosote bush.
  • verb To apply creosote.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb treat with creosote
  • noun a dark oily liquid obtained by distillation of coal tar; used as a preservative for wood
  • noun a colorless or yellowish oily liquid obtained by distillation of wood tar; used as an antiseptic

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[German Kreosot : Greek kreas, flesh; see kreuə- in Indo-European roots + Greek sōtēr, preserver (from sōzein, to save; see teuə- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From German Kreosot, from kreas ("flesh") + soter ("preserver").

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Examples

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  • Torchy Gets Her Man

    November 1, 2007

  • Creosote is the sticky resin left behind in the stovepipe when wood is burned. It can build up and cause chimney fires.

    February 6, 2008

  • This substance is used on fences to keep horses from damaging them.

    July 31, 2012