Adjacent Words

Bitumen definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BIT'UMEN
BITU'MEN, n. [L.] This name is used to denote various inflammable substances, of a strong smell, and of different consistencies, which are found in the earth. There are several varieties, most of which evidently pass into each other, proceeding from Naphtha, the most fluid, to Petroleum, a viscid fluid, Maltha, more or less cohesive, elastic bitumen or mineral caoutchouc, and Asphalt, which is sometimes too hard to be scratched by the nail.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: any of various naturally occurring impure mixtures of hydrocarbons

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English bithumen mineral pitch, from Latin bitumin-, bitumen Date: 15th century 1. an asphalt of Asia Minor used in ancient times as a cement and mortar 2. any of various mixtures of hydrocarbons (as tar) often together with their nonmetallic derivatives that occur naturally or are obtained as residues after heat-refining natural substances (as petroleum); specifically such a mixture soluble in carbon disulfide • bituminization noun • bituminize transitive verb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 any of various tarlike mixtures of hydrocarbons derived from petroleum naturally or by distillation and used for road surfacing and roofing. 2 Austral. colloq. a tarred road. Etymology: L bitumen -minis

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bitumen Bi*tu"men, n. [L. bitumen: cf. F. bitume. Cf. B['e]ton.] 1. Mineral pitch; a black, tarry substance, burning with a bright flame; Jew's pitch. 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. See Asphalt.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Bitumen is a black sticky substance which is obtained from tar or petrol and is used in making roads.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Gen. 11:3, R.V., margin, rendered in the A.V. "slime"), a mineral pitch. With this the ark was pitched (6:14. See also Ex. 2:3.) (See SLIME.)

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bi-tu'-men.

See SLIME.