Asphaltos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A dark, thick substance derived from petroleum, used primarily in road construction and roofing
2. a natural or refined bitumen that serves as a binder in asphalt mixtures
3. a viscous material utilized in various construction applications for its waterproofing and durability properties

Etymology: Ancient builders in Mesopotamia used a black, sticky substance that seeped out of the ground, and Greek speakers borrowed the name for it. Herodotus described Babylonian builders laying bricks in this bitumen as mortar, and the material was used to bind and waterproof structures across the region. The Greek word is often explained as "a-" ("not") plus "sphallein" ("to trip up" or "make fall"), suggesting something that does not give way, which would suit its use as a binder. This is plausible but not certain, and some scholars think the word came into Greek from an older Near Eastern language rather than being built from Greek parts. From Greek it passed into Latin as "asphaltum," and that form reached English as "asphalt." The English word kept the sense of a natural, tar-like substance, which is why the material used for paving roads still bears a name for something found in the ground.

Synonyms: asphalt, bitumen, tar, pitch, tarmac