bitumen

[ bahy-too-muhn, -tyoo-, bih-, bich-oo- ]

noun

1. any of various natural substances, as asphalt, maltha, or gilsonite, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons.
2. (formerly) an asphalt of Asia Minor used as cement and mortar.

bitumen

/ ˈbɪtjʊmɪn; bɪˈtjuːmɪnəs /

noun

1. any of various viscous or solid impure mixtures of hydrocarbons that occur naturally in asphalt, tar, mineral waxes, etc: used as a road surfacing and roofing material
2. the constituents of coal that can be extracted by an organic solvent
3. any liquid suitable for coating aggregates
4. the bitumen
   1. any road with a bitumen surface
   2. capital the road in the Northern Territory between Darwin and Alice Springs
5. a transparent brown pigment or glaze made from asphalt

bitumen

/ bĭ-to̅o̅′mən /

1. Any of various flammable mixtures of hydrocarbons and other substances found in asphalt and tar. Bitumens occur naturally or are produced from petroleum and coal.

Derived Forms

• bituminous, adjective

Other Words From

• bi·tu·mi·noid [bahy-, too, -m, uh, -noid, -, tyoo, -, bih-], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bitumen¹

1425–75; late Middle English bithumen < Latin bitūmen

Word History and Origins

Origin of bitumen¹

C15: from Latin bitūmen , perhaps of Celtic origin

Example Sentences

Volatile dilutants added to the heavy bitumen from Alberta enable it to flow through the pipeline.

From Seattle Times

“The federal and state/provincial agencies and oil-spill response organizations are not prepared to effectively contain and collect a Canadian tar sands diluted bitumen spill,” Pratt said, referring to the type of crude shipped from northern Alberta.

From Seattle Times

Veniamin Kondratyev, the head of the regional government, said the Ukrainians drones had targeted two oil refineries, a bitumen plant, and a military airfield in Kuban.

From New York Times

The researchers discovered traces of a mixture of ochre and bitumen on several stone tools, such as scrapers, flakes, and blades.

From Science Daily

Ochre is a naturally occurring earth pigment; bitumen is a component of asphalt and can be produced from crude oil, but also occurs naturally in the soil.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• blacktop