creosote

See also: créosote

English

Etymology

Coined in 1832 by Carl Reichenbach as German Kreosot, a learned formation from Ancient Greek κρέας (kréas, “flesh”) + σωτήρ (sōtḗr, “preserver”), after the substance's antiseptic quality. Adopted in English by 1835.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɹiːəˌsəʊt/
• IPA^(key): /ˈkɹiːəˌsoʊt/

Noun

creosote (countable and uncountable, plural creosotes)

1. A pale yellow oily liquid, containing phenols and similar compounds, obtained by the destructive distillation of wood tar, once used medicinally.
2. A similar brown liquid obtained from coal tar used as a wood preservative.
   • 1907, E.M. Forster, The Longest Journey, Part I, III [Uniform ed., p. 45]:

     Agnes was leaning over the creosoted garden gate …

3. (countable) The creosote bush.
   • 1994, John Alcock, Sonoran Desert Summer (page 88)

     On Shaw Butte, as elsewhere in the Phoenix area, creosotes are abundant, producing a plethora of small yellow flowers in late March and April.

Translations

liquid obtained from wood or tar

• Esperanto: kreozoto
• French: créosote (fr) m
• Georgian: კრეოზოტი (ḳreozoṭi)
• Greek: κρεόζωτο n (kreózoto)
• Irish: créasóid f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kreosot m

  Nynorsk: kreosot m

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: креозо́т (ru) m (kreozót)
• Sanskrit: क्रव्यप (kravyap)
• Spanish: creosota (es) f
• Tagalog: kreyosota
• Welsh: creosot m

Verb

creosote (third-person singular simple present creosotes, present participle creosoting, simple past and past participle creosoted)

1. To apply creosote.

   As the fence is exposed he will creosote it for protection.

Translations

to apply creosote

• French: créosoter (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Spanish: creosotar (es)

Related terms

• creosote bush

Anagrams

• e-scooter

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Spanish

Verb

creosote

1. inflection of creosotar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative