pavement

noun

pave·​ment ˈpāv-mənt 

1

: a paved surface: such as

a

: the artificially covered surface of a public thoroughfare

b

chiefly British : sidewalk

2

: the material with which something is paved

3

: something that suggests a pavement (as in flatness, hardness, and extent of surface)

Examples of pavement in a Sentence

He stopped the car just off the pavement.

The summer heat rose off the pavement.

Recent Examples on the Web

On a cool December evening as raindrops polka-dotted the pavement, longtime street performer Onunze Ubaka, 72, crooned Motown classics to a virtually empty corner off the usually busy Jackson Square in the French Quarter. —Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025

One development includes treating roadways with brine, which is a combination of salt and water that adheres to the pavement and helps prevent sticking. —Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Dec. 2025

Documents from the county indicate the work involves new sidewalks, bikeways, and pavement improvements. —Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025

Officials note that much of the corridor's infrastructure, including bridges and pavement, is aging and dates back to the 1950s and '60s. —Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 10 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin pavimentum, from pavire

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pavement

• hit the pavement
• pavement café
• pounded the streets/pavement
• pound the streets/pavement

Rhymes for pavement

• enslavement

Kids Definition

pavement

noun

pave·​ment ˈpāv-mənt 

1

: a paved surface (as of a street)

2

: the material with which something is paved