maltha
noun
mal·tha
ˈmalthə
variants or less commonly malthite
-ˌthīt
plural -s
: a black viscid substance intermediate between petroleum and asphalt
called also earth pitch, mineral tar
Word History
Etymology
maltha from Latin, soft mixture of wax and pitch, from Greek maltha, malthē; akin to Greek malthakos soft; malthite from maltha + -ite