Bituminized

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A method involving the application of bitumen to materials in order to enhance their longevity and weather resistance
2. The treatment of surfaces or substances with bitumen to bolster their strength and prevent deterioration
3. A process that applies bitumen to various materials to improve their durability and resistance to harsh environmental factors

Etymology: "Bituminized" is the past tense and past participle of "bituminize," so the verb is the word whose history matters here. To bituminize something is to treat it with bitumen, the dark, sticky petroleum-based substance used in road surfacing and waterproofing. The verb is formed from "bitumen" with the common English suffix "-ize," which turns a noun into a verb meaning "to make into or treat with" that noun. Bitumen itself comes from the Latin "bitumen," a word for a natural tar or pitch, and it passed into English through that same route. The older sense of the material was closer to what we would now call asphalt or natural pitch, and the petroleum-based products familiar today came into use later, which is why the verb can cover treatments of many different materials.