asphalt

The word “asphalt” means a thick, sticky black substance used mainly for surfacing roads, mixed with sand and gravel. In plain terms, the dark surface material used to pave roads and driveways; also the act of laying it down.

“Asphalt” is pronounced AS-falt (/ˈæsfɔlt/ in IPA).

Here is “asphalt” used in a sentence: “Workers laid fresh asphalt on the highway overnight.”

Depending on how it is used, “asphalt” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “asphalt” comes from Ancient Greek. From Ancient Greek asphaltos, meaning "bitumen" — a naturally occurring tar-like substance.

“Asphalt” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Asphalt” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a thick, sticky black substance used mainly for surfacing roads, mixed with sand and gravel.

As a noun, asphalt refers to the thick, sticky black substance mixed with sand and gravel to surface roads. As a verb, to asphalt means to cover a surface with this material, as in "they asphalted the driveway."

Asphalt is a thick, sticky black substance that is mixed with sand and gravel to create a durable surfacing material, mainly used for roads. This mixture gives it the strength needed to withstand vehicle traffic.

Asphalt is mainly used for surfacing roads, combining the sticky black substance with sand and gravel to create a hard-wearing driving surface. It can also be applied to other surfaces that need similar durability.