asphaltite

American

[as-fawl-tahyt, as-fawl-tahyt, as-fal-, as-fal-] / æsˈfɔl taɪt, ˈæs fɔlˌtaɪt, æsˈfæl-, ˈæs fæl- /

noun

a natural, solid hydrocarbon having a melting point higher than that of asphalt.

asphaltite British

/ æsˈfæltaɪt /

noun

any of various naturally occurring hydrocarbons that resemble asphalt but have a higher melting point

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of asphaltite

From the Greek word asphaltī́tēs, dating back to 1815–25. See asphalt, -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Adj. resiny†, resinous; bituminous, pitchy, tarry; asphaltic, asphaltite.

From Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Roget, Peter Mark

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023