“Tar” is an old informal term for a sailor, particularly one serving in the British Royal Navy or merchant fleet. The word evokes the traditional image of a hardy, weather-beaten seaman whose clothing or equipment might be waterproofed with tar. In poetry and songs, “tar” can emphasize sailors’ courage, endurance, patriotism, and sometimes their harsh treatment after service.

The term is closely associated with Jack Tar, a traditional nickname for an ordinary British sailor. “Tar” may derive from sailors’ tarred waterproof clothing, ropes, and ship equipment, though its exact early development is connected with the word tarpaulin. In older naval ballads and patriotic poems, the word can be admiring, presenting sailors as brave and dependable. It may also carry a sentimental or stereotyped tone. Do not confuse this Nautical meaning with tar, the dark sticky substance used to seal wood, rope, and other materials.