Coal tar

A thick, black, tarry liquid, obtained by the distillation of bituminous coal in the manufacture of illuminating gas; used for making printer's ink, black varnish, etc. It is a complex mixture from which many substances have been obtained, especially hydrocarbons of the benzene or aromatic series.

a tar formed from distillation of bituminous coal; coal tar can be further distilled to give various aromatic compounds