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)

asphalts, present (3rd person singular) asphalted, past participle, past asphalting present participle

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

Derived Forms

• asphaltic
  adjective
• asphaltlike
  adjective
• unasphalted
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has asphalted
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have asphalted
  perfect
• are asphalting
  progressive
• is asphalting
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am asphalting
  progressive 1st person singular
• have been asphalting
  perfect progressive
• asphalting
  participle
• asphalts
  singular 3rd person
• has been asphalting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular

Past

• had asphalted
  perfect
• had been asphalting
  perfect progressive
• asphalted
  participle
• asphalted
  simple
• were asphalting
  progressive plural
• was asphalting
  progressive singular

Future

• will asphalt
  simple
• will have asphalted
  perfect
• will be asphalting
  progressive
• will have been asphalting
  perfect progressive

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

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

Local road conditions in England and Wales were at an all-time low in 2024 due to "decades of underfunding", according to an annual survey by the Asphalt Industry Alliance.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2025

Asphalt is capable of absorbing 95 percent of solar radiation, according to NASA.

From Slate • Aug. 27, 2024

The opinion also contends with a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that the appellate court had no power to hear the appeal before trial based on the Supreme Court’s 1989 decision Midland Asphalt Corp. v.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 8, 2024

Since then Mr. Johns has written "Asphalt", 1917, which contains his charming group of poems, "Country Rhymes", the best of his lyric work.

From The Second Book of Modern Verse; a selection from the work of contemporaneous American poets by Rittenhouse, Jessie Belle

Related Words

• blacktop