Asphalt Meaning
/ˈæʃfɑlt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA 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.
nounEllipsis of asphalt concrete, a hard ground covering used for roads and walkways.
Sentence Examples
The street is paved with asphalt.
The asphalt was softened by the heat.
The cobbles lie dormant beneath a layer of asphalt.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Workers laid fresh hot ____ to repair the large pothole in the road.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The workers were laying new black ____ on the main city road today.
Word Origin & History
From Late Latin asphaltum, from Ancient Greek ἄσφαλτος (ásphaltos, “asphalt, bitumen”). Displaced native Old English eorþteoru.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 1914, Thomas Hugh Boorman, Asphalts, their sources and utilizations, →OCLC, page 9:
"Between the grey mist of rainclouds the sun suddenly appeared to mottle the wet asphalt of Marble Arch in patches of silver and ebony."
— 1936, F.J. Thwaites, chapter XXII, in The Redemption, Sydney: H. John Edwards, published 1940, page 214:
"89.2 million tons of RAP are used annually in new asphalt pavement construction in the United States."
— (Can we date this quote?), “RAP Benefits for Pavement Owners”, in National Asphalt Pavement Association, archived from the original on 21 Mar 2025, page 1:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Workers laid fresh hot ____ to repair the large pothole in the road.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The workers were laying new black ____ on the main city road today.