BITUMEN

noun Etymology: Middle English bithumen mineral pitch, from Latin bitumin-, ~ Date: 15th century an asphalt of Asia Minor used in ancient times as a cement and mortar, any of various mixtures of hydrocarbons (as tar) often together with their nonmetallic derivatives that occur naturally or are obtained as residues after heat-refining natural substances (as petroleum), bituminization noun bituminize transitive verb