Asphalt

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæʃfɑlt/

Definitions

1. A dark, sticky substance made from petroleum, used to pave roads and surfaces
2. A black, viscous material derived from crude oil, primarily utilized for road construction and waterproofing surfaces
3. A dense mix of hydrocarbons, commonly employed in the creation of pavements and roofing due to its adhesive properties

Etymology: The Greek word "ásphaltos" originally meant bitumen, the sticky black substance that seeps out of the ground, and it was a prized building material long before anyone paved a road with it. Ancient writers used it for mortar and waterproofing, and the Late Latin "asphaltum" carried the same sense into medieval Europe. English once had its own name for the stuff. Old English speakers called it "eorþtyrewa," which literally meant "earth-tar," and that native compound was eventually pushed aside by the borrowed Greek-derived word. The change shows how a material that had been described in ordinary, homely terms gained a learned, classical name, the same pattern seen in many technical words borrowed into English.

Synonyms: bitumen, tar