Definition of "bitumen" []

• Any of various flammable mixtures of hydrocarbons and other substances, occurring naturally or obtained by distillation from coal or petroleum, that are a component of asphalt and tar and are used for surfacing roads and for waterproofing. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "But after reading up on the Keystone XL pipeline and its proposed cargo -- a thick, tarry form of oil called bitumen, which is diluted with other petroleum byproducts and pumped at higher pressures and temperatures than conventional crude -- Kelso said she and her family became nervous and backed away."
• "Thinking further, friction under millions of car tyres might be transferable if the technology goes in that direction, since bitumen is also a piezzo generating fabric or it could easily be enhanced with ingrediants that are more so, like recycled plastic kibble. come to think of it. recycled plastic kibble could be used as concrete aggregate and then you could generate piezzo electrics from lift shafts, supermarket shopping malls, freeways, footpaths, etc."
• "In what you might call a giant washing machine, agitation and heat begin to separate the bitumen from the sand."