Forms: 4 aspaltoun, aspalt, 6 aspallto, 7 asphalta, 7–8 asphaltos, -us, 8– asphaltum, asphalt; also 9 asphalte. [Has been used in many forms: α. in ME. a. OF. *aspaltoun, *aspalt (It. aspalto, Pr. asfalto), ad. late L. asphalton, -tum, a. Gr. ἄσφαλτον, var. of ἄσφαλτος, a word of foreign origin; β. from 17th c. in the Gr. and L. forms asphaltos, -us, -um, the last established in scientific use; γ. in recent times, a. mod. Fr. asphalte. Bailey, Johnson and Todd knew only asphaltos, -um; Craig, 1847, has aspha·lt, but since asphalt pavement became familiar, a·sphalt has become usual.]
1. A bituminous substance, found in many parts of the world, a smooth, hard, brittle, black or brownish-black resinous mineral, consisting of a mixture of different hydrocarbons; called also mineral pitch, Jews’ pitch, and in the O.T. ‘slime.’
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1038. Þe spumande aspaltoun þat spyserez sellen.
1366. Maundev., ix. 100. It castethe out of the Watre a thing that men clepen Aspalt.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVI. xix. (1495), 559. Asphaltis glewe of Iudea is erthe of blacke colour and is heuy and stinkynge.
1560. Whitehorne, Ord. Souldiours (1573), 46 b. For every porcion of such thinges, [taking] five of aspallto.
1653. H. Cogan, Diod. Sic., 77. The infinite quantity of Asphalta or Bytumen which grows there [Babylon].
1657. Tomlinson, Renou’s Disp., 674. Asphaltos, or dense Bitumen.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 729. Blazing Cressets fed With Naphtha and Asphaltus.
1714. Fr. Bk. of Rates, 89. Asphaltum per 100 weight.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Asphaltos or Asphaltum.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 727. Amber and asphaltum, or bitumen of Judea.
1799. Kirwan, Geol. Ess., 326. A whole lake of asphalt is said to exist in the Isle of Trinidad.
1870. Yeats, Nat. Hist. Comm., 370. Bitumen, or Asphalte, is an inspissated mineral oil.
b. attrib.
1752. Foote, Taste, I. i. The salutary application of the Asphaltum-pot.
1872. F. L. Pope, Electr. Telegraph (ed. 7), i. 19. It is a good plan to coat the zincs with asphaltum varnish at the junction of the projecting arm, as these are frequently eaten off while the rest of the zinc remains in good condition.
2. A composition made by mixing bitumen, pitch, and sand, or manufactured from natural bituminous limestones, used to pave streets and walks, to line cisterns, etc. Mostly attrib.
1847. Nat. Encycl., II. 267/1. The Seyssel asphalte introduced into this country by Mr. Claridge … in 1837.
1860. Dickens, Uncomm. Trav. (C. D. ed.), iv. 18. Asphalt pavements substituted for wooden floors.
1864. Browning, App. Failure, 36. Some arch, where twelve such slept abreast, Unless the plain asphalte seemed best.
1881. Grant White, England, ii. 29. An asphaltum path.
b. Artificial Asphaltum: a mixture of the thick pitchy residue of coal-tar with sand, chalk, or lime, used for the same purposes as the preceding.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, I. 258.
3. Comb. asphalt-like a.
1837–68. Dana, Min., 751. Solid asphalt-like substances soluble in ether and not in alcohol.
