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Bitumen - 6 dictionary results

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bi⋅tu⋅men

[bahy-too-muh

n, -tyoo-, bi-, bich-oo-]

–noun

1.	any of various natural substances, as asphalt, maltha, or gilsonite, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons.

2.	(formerly) an asphalt of Asia Minor used as cement and mortar.

Origin:
1425–75; late ME bithumen < L bitūmen

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Language Translation for : Bitumen

Spanish:

betún,

German:

das Bitumen,

Japanese:

瀝青

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bi·tu·men (bĭ-tōō'mən, -tyōō'-, bī-) Pronunciation Key
n. Any of various flammable mixtures of hydrocarbons and other substances, occurring naturally or obtained by distillation from coal or petroleum, that are a component of asphalt and tar and are used for surfacing roads and for waterproofing.

[Middle English bithumen, a mineral pitch from the Near East, from Latin bitūmen, perhaps of Celtic origin.]

bi·tu'mi·noid' (-mə-noid') adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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bitumen

1460, from L. bitumen "asphalt," probably, via Oscan or Umbrian, from a Celtic source (cf. Gaulish betulla "birch," used by Pliny for the tree supposedly the source of bitumen). Bituminous is from 1620.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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bitumen
noun
any of various naturally occurring impure mixtures of hydrocarbons

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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bitumen (bĭ-t

'mən) Pronunciation Key
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.

Bitumen

As"phalt\, Asphaltum \As*phal"tum\, n. [Gr. ?, of eastern origin: cf. F. asphalte.]

1. Mineral pitch, Jews' pitch, or compact native bitumen. It is brittle, of a black or brown color and high luster on a surface of fracture; it melts and burns when heated, leaving no residue. It occurs on the surface and shores of the Dead Sea, which is therefore called Asphaltites, or the Asphaltic Lake. It is found also in many parts of Asia, Europe, and America. See Bitumen.

2. A composition of bitumen, pitch, lime, and gravel, used for forming pavements, and as a water-proof cement for bridges, roofs, etc.; asphaltic cement. Artificial asphalt is prepared from coal tar, lime, sand, etc.

Asphalt stone, Asphalt rock, a limestone found impregnated with asphalt.