asphalt (as' fait)

Compact bitumen, mineral pitch, Jew's pitch; a smooth, hard, brittle, black or brownish-black, resinous mineral, of conchoidal texture and bituminous odor, which takes fire easily and burns with a bright but very smoky flame. It consists of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen in varying proportions, with a variable amount of ash. It was used by the ancient Egyptians for embalming, a. cement. See a. varnish, a. oil. A yellow or dark brown oil obtained by the dry distillation of a. It has been used medicinally. a. varnish. Brunswick black, a varnish made by di olving India rubber in mineral naptha; used for making cells on microscope slides. [Gr., asphaltos.]