bitumen
noun
- highly viscous, black material obtained from the destillation of petroleum
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈbɪt.jʊ.mɪn/ / /ˈbɪt͡ʃ.ʊ.mɪn/ / /bɪˈtumən/
noun
Etymology: From Middle English bithumen, bitumen, from Latin bitūmen. Doublet of bitume.
- A sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum, burning with a bright flame. It occurs as an abundant natural product in many places, as on the shores of the Dead and Caspian Seas. It is used in cements, in the construction of pavements, etc.; Mineral pitch.
“You need to excavate and remove the topsoil, line the subsoil with a geotextile, then lay and compact hardcore. Follow this with a layer of compacted "hoggin" – compacted clay, gravel and sand. This is then sprayed with hot bitumen, and has a layer of pea shingle rolled into it.”
- Any one of the natural hydrocarbons, including the hard, solid, brittle varieties called asphalt, the semisolid maltha and mineral tars, the oily petrolea, and even the light, volatile naphthas.
- Roads sealed with bitumen, as opposed to dirt roads.
- Canadian deposits of extremely heavy crude oil.
verb
Etymology: From Middle English bithumen, bitumen, from Latin bitūmen. Doublet of bitume.
- To cover or fill with bitumen.
“another star reflected itself in the glassy black of the bitumened road”
“The Litlata community have now built a mandi set in a pleasant garden, and to ensure the cleanliness of their yardna have bricked and bitumened the pool into which the water flows”