[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/bitumen.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / bitumen

[← B](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/B/)

# bitumen

«bitumen» in Mova's school dictionary: **A black, sticky, tar-like substance made from oil, used…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (bitumen, uncountable)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A black, sticky, tar-like substance made from oil, used to make road surfaces and waterproof roofs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bitumen/#m1)

2) (Australia, New Zealand) The tarred surface of a road; also called "the bitumen". [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bitumen/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In science lessons about materials and oil it is a material that is waterproof and sticky when hot and hard when cool. In Australia and New Zealand people say "the bitumen" for a sealed road compared with a dirt road. In history, bitumen was used to waterproof boats and in ancient building. Phrases: "on the bitumen" (Australia), "bitumen roof".

### examples

- The workers spread hot bitumen on the road. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bitumen/#x1)
- Bitumen keeps the roof dry. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bitumen/#x2)
- In Australia we drove off the bitumen onto a dusty track. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bitumen/#x3)
- Bitumen gets soft and sticky on very hot days. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bitumen/#x4)
- Ancient people used bitumen to seal their boats. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bitumen/#x5)
- Do not touch hot bitumen; it can burn your skin. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bitumen/#x6)

### note

Uncountable: "some bitumen". Pronounced "BITCH-oo-men" or "BIT-yoo-men". Americans usually say "asphalt" or "blacktop"; British people often say "tarmac" for the road surface. Hot bitumen is dangerous.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «bitumen» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bitumen/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.