asphaltum

[ as-fawl-tuhmor, especially British, -fal- ]

noun

1. asphalt.

Word History and Origins

Origin of asphaltum¹

< New Latin < Greek ásphalton asphalt

Example Sentences

Probably L.A.’s earliest wharf, Santa Monica’s Shoo-Fly Landing, was built in 1871 so that Henry Hancock could send ox-drawn wagons of asphaltum, “brea,” from his tar-rich inland rancho out to the coast, to load aboard northbound ships to pave San Francisco’s streets.

From Los Angeles Times

A great deal of preparation goes into its assembly: the would-be Mystic must have “pure and lofty aspirations and desires,” plus a 6.5” x 8.5” concave glass, a brush, a pint of turpentine, and a tube of asphaltum.

From Slate

After cleaning the glass with turpentine and applying a coat of asphaltum to one side, the mirror is magnetized by moving one’s palms in circular motions above it for several minutes.

From Slate

Three coats of asphaltum later, the mirror is ready to receive messages from the Astral Brotherhood of Magic, an association of mystics spanning the seen and unseen world alike.

From Slate

He looked around his Altadena studio and found asphaltum, a material used in printmaking, and he began painting with it.

From Los Angeles Times