Bituminize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To treat or coat with bitumen, a sticky dark petroleum product used in road construction and waterproofing applications
2. To apply a coating of a viscous, black substance derived from petroleum for use in construction or waterproofing purposes
3. To cover surfaces with a sticky, dark material typically sourced from crude oil, enhancing their durability and resistance to water

Etymology: In the Latin Bible known as the Vulgate, the pitch that seals Noah's ark and the mortar of the Tower of Babel are both rendered as "bitumen," so a sticky, waterproofing substance became linked with some of the oldest stories in Western literature. The Latin word was itself probably borrowed from a non-Latin language of the Near East, and its exact source is uncertain. English took "bitumen" from Latin, and "bituminize" was built from it by adding the verb-forming suffix "-ize," which reached English through Latin from Greek "-izein." The result is a plain technical verb meaning to coat or treat something with the black, tarry material now usually called asphalt.