asphalt

American  

[as-fawlt, -falt] / ˈæs fɔlt, -fælt /

noun

1. any of various dark-colored, solid, bituminous substances, native in various areas of the earth and composed mainly of hydrocarbon mixtures.

2. a similar substance that is the by-product of petroleum-cracking operations.

3. a mixture of such substances with gravel, crushed rock, or the like, used for paving.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cover or pave with asphalt.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or containing asphalt.

   asphalt tile.

asphalt British  

/ -fɔːlt, ˈæʃ-, ˈæsfælt /

noun

1. any of several black semisolid substances composed of bitumen and inert mineral matter. They occur naturally in parts of America and as a residue from petroleum distillation: used as a waterproofing material and in paints, dielectrics, and fungicides

2. a mixture of this substance with gravel, used in road-surfacing and roofing materials

3. (modifier) containing or surfaced with asphalt

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verb

1. (tr) to cover with asphalt

asphalt Scientific  

/ ăs′fôlt′ /

1. A thick, sticky, dark-brown mixture of petroleum tars used in paving, roofing, and waterproofing. Asphalt is produced as a byproduct in refining petroleum or is found in natural beds.

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Other Word Forms

• asphaltic adjective
• asphaltlike adjective
• unasphalted adjective

Etymology

Origin of asphalt

1275–1325; earlier asphaltos, -um < Latin < Greek ásphaltos, -on, akin to asphalízein to make firm, to secure; replacing Middle English aspaltoun ≪ Greek ásphalton

Explanation

Asphalt is the black, tarry material that's often used to pave roads or fill in potholes. Your neighbor might decide to coat his driveway in asphalt. Asphalt is a popular substance for paving roads, parking lots, and even airport runways, because it's sturdy and easy to repair. When old asphalt roads are torn up or repaved, the asphalt can be reused in new highway or road projects. Asphalt is usually manufactured from oil, or petroleum, but there are more ecologically friendly ways to make it, including using molasses, rice, or potato starch.

Example Sentences

What the pair found was a desert highway that rolls up and down, like an asphalt serpent, with deadly blind peaks and treacherous hidden troughs.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

SUVs idle in the gravel shoulders, with camera cables snaking out of their doors and across the asphalt.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026

These days, transforming the asphalt landscape into a sandy oasis takes about a week, with almost 900 tonnes of sand – that's about six blue whales or 70 double-decker buses – trucked in.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

The Stellar Ruby had just received a cargo of Iranian asphalt from the Asphalt Star, which came from Iran, according to commodities data company Kpler.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

Both of us fell over each other to the asphalt.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

Related Words

• blacktop