Tar Heel

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of North Carolina (used as a nickname).

Word History and Origins

Origin of Tar Heel¹

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Example Sentences

Before its passage, judges in the Tar Heel State had only found racial discrimination in jury selection one time.

Read more on Slate

Those extra seats in the Tar Heel State, at least arguably, were enough to determine who will control the next Congress.

Read more on Salon

By his next stop in the Tar Heel state, the 78-year-old appeared even more exhausted, turning in what local outlet NC Newsline described as a “disjointed” appeal for votes in the small city of Kinston.

Read more on Salon

And while it appears the Biden administration is treating the impact of this season’s hurricanes as it should, the media’s focus on the almost unfathomable catastrophe in the western mountains of swing state North Carolina is a stark contrast to the near-total absence of attention to what’s going on just over the state line in deep-red Tennessee—complete with the obligatory analyses of how the hurricane’s aftermath might impact the outcome in the Tar Heel State.

Read more on Slate

North Carolina was second only to much, much larger California in the number of manufacturing jobs lost: According to one estimate, the Tar Heel State lost nearly half its jobs in that sector.

Read more on Slate

When To Use

What is a Tar Heel?

A Tar Heel is a nickname for a resident of North Carolina. It’s also the name of the University of North Carolina's (UNC) athletic teams, students, alums, etc.How is Tar Heel pronounced?[ tahr heel ]