creosote

Meanings

Noun

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

Verb

• To apply creosote.

Origin

• Coined in 1832 by Carl Reichenbach as German Kreosot, a learned formation from Ancient Greek κρέας + σωτήρ, after the substance's antiseptic quality. Adopted in English by 1835.