asphaltene

[ as-fawl-teen or, especially British, -fal- ]

nounChemistry.

any of the constituents of a bitumen, as asphalt, that are insoluble in pentane, hexane, or naphthalene.

Origin of asphaltene

¹

First recorded in 1830–40; asphalt + -ene

Compare petrolene.

Words Nearby asphaltene

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use asphaltene in a sentence

According to others, asphaltum consists almost entirely of asphaltene.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I | Arnold Cooley

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