asphalt

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See also: Asphalt

English

asphalt concrete (2) for road surfacing

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Late Latin asphaltum, from Ancient Greek ἄσφαλτος (ásphaltos, “asphalt, bitumen”). Displaced native Old English eorþteoru.

Pronunciation

  • (Canada) IPA(key): /ˈæʃfɑlt/, /ˈæsfɑlt/
  • (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈæʃfɔlt/, /ˈæsfɔlt/, /ˈæʃfɛlt/
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈæsfælt/, /ˈæsfəlt/, /ˈæsfɔːlt/, /ˈæʃfælt/, /ˈæʃfəlt/, /ˈæʃfɔːlt/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈæsfɔlt/, /ˈæʃfɔlt/
    • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

asphalt (countable and uncountable, plural asphalts)

  2. A sticky, black to brown and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid, composed almost entirely of bitumen with small mineral particles, that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits.
    Synonym: bitumen
    • 1914, Thomas Hugh Boorman, Asphalts, their sources and utilizations, →OCLC, page 9:
      Felltham wrote in the beginning of the 17th century of the “Bitumated walls of Babylon;” the source of its supply, the fountains of Is, on a tributary of the Euphrates, still yields asphalt.
  4. Ellipsis of asphalt concrete, a hard ground covering used for roads and walkways.
    Synonyms: tarmac, bitumen
    • 1936, F.J. Thwaites, chapter XXII, in The Redemption, Sydney: H. John Edwards, published 1940, page 214:
      Between the grey mist of rainclouds the sun suddenly appeared to mottle the wet asphalt of Marble Arch in patches of silver and ebony.

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb

asphalt (third-person singular simple present asphalts, present participle asphalting, simple past and past participle asphalted)

  1. (transitive) To pave with asphalt.

Translations

References

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “asphalt”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Further reading

Anagrams

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