as·phalt / ˈasfôlt/ • n. a mixture of dark bituminous pitch with sand or gravel, used for surfacing roads, flooring, roofing, etc. ∎  the pitch used in this mixture, sometimes found in natural deposits but usually made by the distillation of crude oil.• v. [tr.] cover with asphalt.DERIVATIVES: as·phal·tic / asˈfôltik/ adj.

asphalt Naturally occurring black or brown semi-solid bitumen, used mainly for road covering and roofing. Asphalt deposits occur in many parts of the world, including Trinidad, Venezuela, Alabama and Texas. Asphalt also occurs in petroleum, and is now mostly extracted in oil refineries.

asphalt Brown or black, solid or semi-solid, bituminous substance made almost entirely of carbon and hydrogen. It melts between 65 and 95°C and is soluble in carbon disulphide. It is formed by the evaporation of volatile hydrocarbons and occurs in oilbearing rocks, e.g. in Trinidad, or as a residue from petroleum refining.

asphalt XIV. Early forms aspalt(oun), ult. — late L. asphalton, -um — Gr. ásphalton, -os; later asphalt(e) reproduces the F. asphalte.