Bitumen is a black sticky substance which is obtained from tar or petrol and is used in making roads.
bitumen in British English
(ˈbɪtjʊmɪn)
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
5.
a transparent brown pigment or glaze made from asphalt
Derived forms
bituminous (bɪˈtjuːmɪnəs)
adjective
Word origin
C15: from Latin bitūmen, perhaps of Celtic origin
bitumen in American English
(bɪˈtumən; baɪˈtumən; bɪˈtjumən; baɪˈtjumən)
noun
1. Obsolete
asphalt found in a natural state
2.
any of various black, combustible, solid to semisolid mixtures of hydrocarbons that are usually obtained from the distillation of petroleum, used to make roofing materials, sealants, paints, etc.
Derived forms
bituminoid (biˈtumiˌnoid) (bɪˈtuməˌnɔɪd)
adjective
Word origin
L < Celt (or ? Oscan-Umbrian) < IE *gwet-, resin > Sans jatu, gum, Bret bezuen, birch
Examples of 'bitumen' in a sentence
bitumen
His lower teeth were stained brown from nicotine and bitumen coffee.
Robert Wilson BLOOD IS DIRT (2002)
In the gray light, his eyes were as dense and impenetrable as coal or the hard bitumen on which they stood.
John Murray A FEW SHORT NOTES ON TROPICAL BUTTERFLIES (2002)