Definition

Noun

  1. An old word for a sailor.
  2. A substance made from the resin of a pine tree.

Origin

Probably earlier than the 18th century.

Comments

(First definition) Thought to come from the fact that sailors wore clothes made of tarred cloth to waterproof them. (Second definition) Hemp lines and ropes will be impregnated with tar to preserve them, otherwise they’d rot.

References

Kemp, P. (1994). The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. Oxford University Press.

King, D., Hattendorf, J.B, & Estes, J.W. (1997). A Sea of Words: A Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O’Brian’s Seafaring Tales (2nd Ed.). Owl Books.

Rogers, J.G. (1985). Origins of Sea Terms. Mystic Seaport.