tarry.

1. Dark, sticky, or otherwise resembling tar in physical character.

2. To stay, linger, or delay rather than leave or proceed.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• tarry residue
• a tarry surface

On the page

Tarry residue clung to the underside of the latch.

The tarry surface caught fibers from the cloth she used to wipe it.

Usage notes

Primary category: sensory / description. Forms: tarry; comparative tarrier; superlative tarriest for tar-like degree. Verb forms supplied separately. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: tarries.