tar-brush

tar-brush

A worker uses a tar-brush to apply tar to a wooden fence.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A brush used for applying tar: "tar-brush" refers to a brush specifically designed for spreading tar, a black, sticky substance used for waterproofing or road surfacing.
    • A derogatory racial term: Historically, "tar-brush" has been used as a highly offensive and racist slang term to refer to a person of mixed-race ancestry, particularly implying Black heritage. This usage is now considered deeply pejorative and should be avoided in modern discourse.
Usage Examples

  • Noun (literal):

    • The worker picked up the tar-brush to seal the cracks in the roof. (A brush for applying tar.)
    • He dipped the tar-brush into the bucket of hot tar. (The tool used for tar application.)

  • Noun (offensive, historical):

    • The old text used the term "tar-brush" to insult people of mixed race. (A racist slur, now unacceptable.)
    • She was offended when someone referred to her ancestry with the word "tar-brush." (A derogatory reference to mixed-race heritage.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to have a touch of the tar-brush": A now-archaic and offensive idiom meaning to have some Black ancestry, often used in colonial or discriminatory contexts.
    • In the 19th century, it was said that certain families "had a touch of the tar-brush." (A prejudiced way to suggest mixed-race lineage.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Tar (n): a dark, thick, sticky substance obtained from coal or wood, used in road-making and waterproofing.

    • The road workers spread hot tar on the pavement. (The material applied with a tar-brush.)

  • Brush (n): a tool with bristles used for painting, cleaning, or applying substances.

    • She cleaned the paint from her brush after finishing the wall. (A general tool, of which a tar-brush is a specific type.)
Synonyms
  • Tar brush (n): a variant spelling of "tar-brush."
  • Brush for tar (n): a descriptive phrase for the tool.
Phrasal Verbs
  • (None directly associated with "tar-brush" as a noun; the word is not used as a verb.)
Related Idioms
  • "Tarred with the same brush": To be considered as having the same faults or undesirable qualities as someone else, often unfairly.
    • All politicians are tarred with the same brush of dishonesty. (They are all judged similarly, regardless of individual merit.)
    • Note: This idiom derives from the literal use of a tar-brush to apply tar, but it does not use the word "tar-brush" itself.