bitumen

play

noun bi·tu·men \bə-ˈtyü-mən, bī-, -ˈtü-, especially British also ˈbit-yə-\

Definition of bitumen

1 : an asphalt of Asia Minor used in ancient times as a cement and mortar
2 : any of various mixtures of hydrocarbons (such as tar) often together with their nonmetallic derivatives that occur naturally or are obtained as residues after heat-refining natural substances (such as petroleum); specifically : such a mixture soluble in carbon disulfide

bituminization

play \bə-ˌtyü-mə-nə-ˈzā-shən, bī-, -ˌtü-\ noun

bituminize

play \-ˈtyü-mə-ˌnīz, -ˈtü-\ transitive verb

Recent Examples of bitumen from the Web

Ancient people in California, Mexico and the Middle East have been using bitumen for up to 70,000 years.

— mira abed, latimes.com, "Scientists make water bottles the old-fashioned way to see if they were toxic to early Californians," 24 June 2017
Shopkeepers resort to buying sacks of bitumen and filling in the potholes outside their premises themselves.

— sara miller llana, The Christian Science Monitor, "Though Macron's party rolls up wins in France, a cautionary tale next door," 19 June 2017
The industry uses gas to loosen the hard bitumen rock, as well as to heat water used in the process.

— robert tuttle, Bloomberg.com, "Cheap Gas Drilling Rouses Canada's Permian of the North," 19 May 2017
But the presence of bitumen is unusual and the most likely reason is to slow the decay of the teeth.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "13,000-Year-Old Fillings Were “Drilled” With Stone and Packed With Tar," 11 Apr. 2017
Yarrabah, which is wedged between mountainous rain forest and the Coral Sea, first got electricity in the 1960s, followed by its first bitumen road, residents say.

— clarissa sebag-montefiore, New York Times, "Aboriginal Brass Band Offers Burst of Hope in a Bleak Community," 24 Jan. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bitumen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.