An oily, tarry substance obtained from wood, historically used as a waterproofing agent and medicinal preparation.
From Arabic 'al-qitran' (tar). The word traveled through Iberian Spanish and into European languages during the medieval period when trade in these materials was important.
Viking ships stayed waterproof using products like alkitran—it's a chemical innovation lost to history, replaced by modern sealants, but it kept some of history's greatest sailors afloat.
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