bitume

asphalt

noun bee-TEWM Rare

Origin: Latin bitumen, 'mineral pitch'

Also means

bitumen

Usage Note

Le bitume refers to the black viscous petroleum derivative used to surface roads, equivalent to 'asphalt' or 'tarmac' in English. In French urban slang, le bitume or le bitum' also means the street or pavement in a broader sense — les enfants du bitume (street kids). It is the technical term used in road construction and civil engineering.

Examples

"La chaleur ramollit le bitume en été."

Natural Translation

The heat softens the asphalt in summer.

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