bitumen
A sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum, burning with a…A sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum, burning with a bright flame. It occurs as an abundant natural product in many places, as on the shores of the Dead and Caspian Seas. It is used in cements, in the construction of pavements, etc.; Mineral pitch.
» I loathe these times like bitumen.
Meaning
4 senses(countable, uncountable)A sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum, burning with a bright flame. It occurs as an abundant natural product in many places, as on the shores of the Dead and Caspian Seas. It is used in cements, in the construction of pavements, etc.; Mineral pitch.
Bitumen
би́тумbítum
(broadly, countable, uncountable)Any one of the natural hydrocarbons, including the hard, solid, brittle varieties called asphalt, the semisolid maltha and mineral tars, the oily petrolea, and even the light, volatile naphthas.
(Australia, colloquial, countable, uncountable)Roads sealed with bitumen, as opposed to dirt roads.
(Canada, countable, uncountable)Canadian deposits of extremely heavy crude oil.
- any of various naturally occurring impure mixtures of hydrocarbons
Examples
1 sentencesI loathe these times like bitumen.
Translations
8 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English bithumen, bitumen, from Latin bitūmen. Doublet of bitume.From Middle English bithumen, bitumen, from Latin bitūmen. Doublet of bitume.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: bitumina / bitumensSynonyms
6 synonymsWord family
10 related wordsLessons for this word
2 lessons- A1Plural nouns — Because its plural is irregular
- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable