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bitumen
[ bahy-too-muhn, -tyoo-, bih-, bich-oo- ]
/ baɪˈtu mən, -ˈtyu-, bɪ-, ˈbɪtʃ ʊ- /
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noun
any of various natural substances, as asphalt, maltha, or gilsonite, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons.
(formerly) an asphalt of Asia Minor used as cement and mortar.
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Origin of bitumen
1425–75; late Middle English bithumen<Latin bitūmen
OTHER WORDS FROM bitumen
bi·tu·mi·noid [bahy-too-muh-noid, -tyoo-, bih-], /baɪˈtu məˌnɔɪd, -ˈtyu-, bɪ-/, adjectiveWords nearby bitumen
bitterwort, bitting, bittock, BitTorrent, bitty, bitumen, bituminize, bituminous, bituminous coal, Bitzer, biunique
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use bitumen in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for bitumen
bitumen
/ (ˈbɪtjʊmɪn) /
noun
any of various viscous or solid impure mixtures of hydrocarbons that occur naturally in asphalt, tar, mineral waxes, etc: used as a road surfacing and roofing material
the constituents of coal that can be extracted by an organic solvent
any liquid suitable for coating aggregates
the bitumen
- Australian and NZ informal any road with a bitumen surface
- (capital) Australian informal the road in the Northern Territory between Darwin and Alice Springs
a transparent brown pigment or glaze made from asphalt
Derived forms of bitumen
bituminous (bɪˈtjuːmɪnəs), adjectiveWord Origin for bitumen
C15: from Latin bitūmen, perhaps of Celtic origin
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
Scientific definitions for bitumen
bitumen
[ bĭ-tōō′mən ]
Any of various flammable mixtures of hydrocarbons and other substances found in asphalt and tar. Bitumens occur naturally or are produced from petroleum and coal.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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