asphalt
/ˈasfalt
/ /ˈasfəlt/noun [mass noun]
1A mixture of dark bituminous pitch with sand or gravel, used for surfacing roads, flooring, roofing, etc.Teal and green floor tiles in the kids' bathroom are made of waste products derived from gravel, asphalt, and cement....
- They are designed to go over any surface, including asphalt, dirt, gravel, grass and mountain trails.
- Masonry sealers are not intended for use on asphalt, glazed ceramic tile or on wooden surfaces.
1.1The pitch used in asphalt, sometimes found in natural deposits but usually made by the distillation of crude oil.Chief exports of Trinidad and Tobago include oil, sugar, citrus fruit, asphalt, and coffee....
- There are also large reserves of natural gas and asphalt.
- Trinidad has one of the largest natural asphalt lakes in the world.
verb [with object]
Surface with asphalt.A majority of villagers overruled the sane voice of a few to stop asphalting the surface that would hasten the surface run-off instead of trapping the heavenly bounty....
- He said over 400 km of the 1,000 km had been asphalted and over 300 km had been metalled.
- The roads will not be permanently asphalted, but will be hard surfaced nonetheless, in anticipation of the rains.
Derivatives
asphaltic
/ adjective ...- Many of these had been constructed with an asphaltic concrete pavement for the travelled way and gravel shoulders.
- Roads earmarked for an asphaltic concrete reseal will still get this high-quality treatment.
- The layers can be almost any combination of granular, stabilised or asphaltic materials, and future versions will also model gravel and rigid pavements.
Origin
Late Middle English: from French asphalte, based on late Latin asphalton, asphaltum, from Greek asphalton.