mineral tar

American  

noun

1. bitumen of the consistency of tar; maltha.

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mineral tar British  

noun

1. Also called: maltha.  a natural black viscous tar intermediate in properties between petroleum and asphalt

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Etymology

Origin of mineral tar

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mineral tar

We saw the same kind of roof material as before, a sort of mineral tar which I supposed they must find somewhere about.

From Death Valley in '49 by Manly, William Lewis

The chief were wine, coal, timber, mineral tar, fertilizers and lobsters and crayfish.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

In the vicinity of Los Angeles there are a number of warm springs which throw out and deposit large quantities of bitumen or mineral tar.

From What I Saw in California by Bryant, Edwin

A kind, called mineral tar, is also drawn from coal by the process of distillation.

From A Catechism of Familiar Things; Their History, and the Events Which Led to Their Discovery. With a Short Explanation of Some of the Principal Natural Phenomena. For the Use of Schools and Families. Enlarged and Revised Edition. by Anonymous

We passed several warm springs which throw up large quantities of bitumen or mineral tar.

From What I Saw in California by Bryant, Edwin