bituminous

adjective

bi·​tu·​mi·​nous bə-ˈtyü-mə-nəs How to pronounce bituminous (audio)
bī-,
-ˈtü-
1
: containing or impregnated with bitumen
2
: of or relating to bituminous coal

Examples of bituminous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Fort McMurray is in the middle of Alberta’s tar sands, or bituminous sands. Bridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Dec. 2023 Penn Keystone Coal sells clean-burning bituminous and anthracite blacksmith’s coal in 50-pound bags protected by a cardboard box. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 4 Apr. 2023 Trade sanctions include a ban on imports from Belarus of goods used for the production or manufacturing of tobacco products, mineral fuels, bituminous substances and gaseous hydrocarbon products, potassium chloride, wood, cement, iron and steel and rubber, according to documents seen by Bloomberg. Aliaksandr Kudrytski, Bloomberg.com, 3 Mar. 2022 The foundation of the home, as well as the terraced fountain and other details, are made of blue stone, or bituminous rock. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2022 Among other updates, the project calls for the construction of a bituminous trail for cyclists and pedestrians. Alison Cross, Hartford Courant, 28 Nov. 2022 Within this category, Russia mostly exports petroleum oils, oils obtained from bituminous minerals, and crude. Clarisa Diaz, Quartz, 1 Mar. 2022 But there it was long overshadowed by the much larger sprawl of bituminous mines in the Ruhr region, just to the north. Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 31 Jan. 2022 Small purple-black fruits had fallen on the rocky, bituminous pavement, their insides splattered, seeping into the cracks. The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bituminous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bituminous was in 1620

Dictionary Entries Near bituminous

Cite this Entry

“Bituminous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bituminous. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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