asphaltene

[ as-fawl-teen or, esp. British, -fal- ]

/ æsˈfɔl tin or, esp. British, -ˈfæl- /

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noun Chemistry.

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

Nearby words

aspersorium, asphalt, asphalt jungle, asphalt paper, asphalt rock, asphaltene, asphaltite, asphaltum, aspherical, aspherical surface, asphodel

Compare petrolene.

Origin of asphaltene

First recorded in 1830–40; asphalt + -ene

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for asphaltene

According to others, asphaltum consists almost entirely of asphaltene.
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