bitumen
noun
bi·tu·men
bə-ˈtyü-mən 
bī-,
-ˈtü-,
especially British also ˈbit-yə-
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
Examples of bitumen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the Le Moustier region, bitumen, and ochre would have had to be collected from distant locations.
—
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2024
On stone blades and scrapers, the team found a mix of ochre and bitumen – minerals that both occur naturally in soil and rock.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024
The number of green spaces is decreasing, while the number of artificial surfaces, like bitumen and concrete, which absorb and radiate heat, is increasing.
—Gavin Butler Matthew Abbott, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023
Its Columbia Gas Transmission pipeline exploded in Strasburg, Virginia, in July and its existing Keystone pipeline spilled nearly 600,000 gallons of bitumen oil in Kansas last December.
—Claire Rush, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2023
The bitumen plants were shut down for weeks—a first.
—John Vaillant, Time, 7 June 2023
And in the Bible, Noah sealed his arc with bitumen to make the vessel more hydrodynamic.
—Adrienne Bernhard, Popular Mechanics, 20 Mar. 2023
The Dublin pitch-drop experiment was set up in 1944 at Trinity College Dublin to demonstrate the high viscosity or low fluidity of pitch — also known as bitumen or asphalt — a material that appears to be solid at room temperature, but is in fact flowing, albeit extremely slowly.
—Richard Johnston, Scientific American, 19 July 2013
Hundreds of people had gathered to welcome Torres and 92 other garbagemen (their preferred title) to a football-field sized patch of bitumen at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler.
—Lane Sainty, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2023
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2024
On stone blades and scrapers, the team found a mix of ochre and bitumen – minerals that both occur naturally in soil and rock.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024
The number of green spaces is decreasing, while the number of artificial surfaces, like bitumen and concrete, which absorb and radiate heat, is increasing.
—Gavin Butler Matthew Abbott, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023
Its Columbia Gas Transmission pipeline exploded in Strasburg, Virginia, in July and its existing Keystone pipeline spilled nearly 600,000 gallons of bitumen oil in Kansas last December.
—Claire Rush, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2023
The bitumen plants were shut down for weeks—a first.
—John Vaillant, Time, 7 June 2023
And in the Bible, Noah sealed his arc with bitumen to make the vessel more hydrodynamic.
—Adrienne Bernhard, Popular Mechanics, 20 Mar. 2023
The Dublin pitch-drop experiment was set up in 1944 at Trinity College Dublin to demonstrate the high viscosity or low fluidity of pitch — also known as bitumen or asphalt — a material that appears to be solid at room temperature, but is in fact flowing, albeit extremely slowly.
—Richard Johnston, Scientific American, 19 July 2013
Hundreds of people had gathered to welcome Torres and 92 other garbagemen (their preferred title) to a football-field sized patch of bitumen at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler.
—Lane Sainty, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bitumen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bitumen
Cite this Entry
“Bitumen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bitumen. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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