1. 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.

1. mineral pitch; a black, tarry substance, burning with a bright flame; jew’s pitch. it occurs as an abundant natural product in many places, as on the shores of the dead and caspian seas. it is used in cements, in the construction of pavements, et cetera.
2. by extension, any one of the natural hydrocarbons, including the hard, solid, brittle varieties called asphalt, the semisolid maltha and mineral tars, the oily petrolea, and even the light, volatile naphthas.

1. mineral pitch; a black, tarry substance, burning with a bright flame; jew's pitch. it occurs as an abundant natural product in many places, as on the shores of the dead and caspian seas. it is used in cements, in the construction of pavements, etc. see asphalt.
2. by extension, any one of the natural hydrocarbons, including the hard, solid, brittle varieties called asphalt, the semisolid maltha and mineral tars, the oily petroleums, and even the light, volatile naphthas.

1. the name given by latin writers, especially by Pliny, to various forms of hydrocarbons now included under the names of asphaltum, maltha, and petroleum (see these words).

1. any of various naturally occurring impure mixtures of hydrocarbons