tar sand

American  

noun

Geology.

1. bituminous sand or sandstone from which asphalt can be obtained.

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tar sand British  

noun

1. a sandstone in which hydrocarbons have been trapped; the lighter compounds evaporate, leaving a residue of asphalt in the rock pores

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Etymology

Origin of tar sand

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tar sand

So she headed west, to the tar sand fields of northern Alberta, one of the world’s most environmentally destructive oil operations, where workers lived in barracks-like camps and men vastly outnumbered women.

From New York Times ● Sep. 12, 2022

In fact, there’s no more good tar sand pipelines.

From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2021

One of those spills, a 2010 release of more than 1 million gallons of sludgy tar sand soil into a Michigan creek polluted a nearly 40-mile stretch of the Kalamazoo River.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 12, 2021

TransCanada said one project does not replace the other and that it has long-term commitments for Keystone XL, which has always been designed to carry heavier crude from the tar sand fields.

From Reuters ● Aug. 5, 2013

It was in some sort of tar sand, of which we have seen a good deal on our journey.

From Young Alaskans in the Far North by Hough, Emerson