Tarmac

Description

Originally a mixture of slag, tar, asphalt, and other materials used in construction of road beds, parking lots, and runways. Tarmac was invented by E. Purnell Hooley in 1901 when he saw a barrel of tar spill on a macadam roadway. He patented the idea and began selling the product as Tar Macadam. The term 'tarmac' is now commonly used for all asphalt-type roadways.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Tar Macadam

Sources Checked for Data in Record

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarmac (Accessed Sept. 28, 2005)