Obs. Forms: 4 alkatran, 7 alkitrum, 8 alchitran, -am, -kytran. [a. OFr. alketran, alquitran, a. Sp. alquitran, Pg. alcatrão (med.L. alquitranum, alchitrum, It. catrame, mod.Fr. goudran, -on), ad. Arab. al-qaṭrān or al-qiṭrān, the resin of fir-trees, pitch, tar; f. qaṭara to drop.] The liquid resin or pitch that flows from fir-trees; extended by the early chemists to: a. oil of cedar and juniper; b. mineral pitch, tar, bitumen; and, vaguely, to other substances.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1035. Alum & alka[t]ran, that angré arn boþe.
1366. Maundev., ix. 99. About that [Dead] See growethe moche Alom and of Alkatran.
1658. J. R., Mouffet’s Theat. Ins., 1123. Abenzoar prescribes, to anoynt the hair with the lesser Centaury, and Alkitrum.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., Alchitram, among the alchemists, denotes sometimes the oil of juniper, sometimes liquid pitch, and sometimes arsenic prepared by ablution. This is otherwise written alchitram and alchitran; sometimes alchytran and alkytran.
1879. Syd. Soc. Lex., Alchitrum, Alchytran, Alketran, Alkitram, Alkitran, [variously expl. as] the impure liquid resin of Pinus sylvestris; a resin obtained from the cedar tree; oil of cedar; oil of juniper; pix liquida or tar; arsenic prepared by washing; a term for the residuum after distillation.
