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Glite Dictionary
🎨 A dark varnish 🛣️ A paving material 🪨 A bitumen deposit
asphaltum

asphaltum

9.2
A natural thick black oil found in the ground and in lakes
  • noun
  • /æˈsfɔltəm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : asfalto
  • Erlandson picks up black chunks of asphaltum, a natural tar, some with basketry impressions.

Examples

  • The museum displayed a sample of asphaltum that had been used in the construction of historical buildings.

  • In ancient times, asphaltum was used for waterproofing boats and sealing containers.

  • The archaeologists discovered a layer of asphaltum beneath the soil, indicating the area had been inhabited for centuries.

Synonyms

asphalt
vsasphaltum
56 3.9

A dark sticky material used to make roads and keep roofs dry

is the pure natural petroleum residue found in seeps and lakes not mixed
bitumen
vsasphaltum
  • UK
3 7.4

A thick black sticky substance used to make roads and roofs waterproof

is any natural petroleum residue found in seeps or lakes rather than industrial product
gilsonite
vsasphaltum
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A natural black material like tar used to make roads and inks

is the natural petroleum residue from seeps and lakes not a traded product
pyrobitumen
vsasphaltum
  • Specialized
9.9

Hard black organic material in rock that forms when natural oil is heated

is a natural petroleum residue in surface deposits not thermally altered
mineral tar
vsasphaltum
  • Specialized
8.5

A thick black sticky material made from oil and rocks used to make roofs waterproof and stop rust

is a naturally occurring petroleum residue found in seeps and lakes not mineral derived

Surface Forms

asphaltum singular
asphaltums plural

Etymology

Asphaltum traces back to asphalt and Greek asphaltos, meaning 'secure', which people used for a natural, tar-like substance found in the ground. So asphaltum means the natural bit of tar or petroleum residue that appears in seeps and lakes.