tall oil

American  

[tahl] / tɑl /

noun

1. a resinous secondary product resulting from the manufacture of chemical wood pulp: used in the manufacture of soaps, paints, etc.

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tall oil British  

noun

1. any of various oily liquid mixtures obtained by acidifying the liquor resulting from the treatment of wood pulp with sodium hydroxide: it contains chiefly rosin acids and fatty acids and is used in making soaps and lubricants

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Etymology

Origin of tall oil

1925–30; < Swedish tallolja, equivalent to tall pine (cognate with Old Norse thǫll young pine tree) + olja oil

Example Sentences

In 1984, eight miles off the coast of Southern California, the 700-foot tall oil platform, Eureka, was anchored into the depths of the Pacific.

From National Geographic • Aug. 8, 2023

The sun went down and wax candles were brought, instead of the tall oil lamps that were used on ordinary days.

From Marietta A Maid of Venice by Crawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)