soot
/sʊt
/noun [mass noun]
A deep black powdery or flaky substance consisting largely of amorphous carbon, produced by the incomplete burning of organic matter.Diesel particulate matter consists of soot mixed with anything from volatile organic compounds to sulphur and nitrous oxides....
- What impact, if any, does soot and black carbon from fires have on the glaciers of Kilimanjaro?
- Very low particulate, soot, and volatile organic emissions are released when it is burned.
verb [with object]
Cover or clog (something) with soot: you have previously sooted the underside of their plate by holding it over a candle...
- The tremendous heat has consumed all vegetation, destabilized ground areas, sooted the work environment and caused burned trees to become unsafe.
Phrases
(as) black as soot
Origin
Old English sōt, of Germanic origin; related to German dialect Sott, from an Indo-European root shared by the verb sit.