asphalt

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)A sticky, black to brown and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid, composed almost entirely of bitumen with small mineral particles, that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits.

   “The mining of asphalt was big business in this area in the early twentieth century.”

   “Felltham wrote in the beginning of the 17th century of the “Bitumated walls of Babylon;” the source of its supply, the fountains of Is, on a tributary of the Euphrates, still yields asphalt.”

2. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable)Ellipsis of asphalt concrete, a hard ground covering used for roads and walkways.

   “Near-synonyms: tarmac, tarmacadam, blacktop, bitumen”

   “Please hose off the asphalt near the top of the driveway if the trucks get lots of mud on it.”

   “Between the grey mist of rainclouds the sun suddenly appeared to mottle the wet asphalt of Marble Arch in patches of silver and ebony.”

   “89.2 million tons of RAP are used annually in new asphalt pavement construction in the United States.”

verb

1. (transitive)To pave with asphalt.