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

If not for our courtroom testimony, the public would not know the risk posed by some 20 acres of new pavement laid amid Everglades wetlands that surround Alligator Alcatraz. —Eve Samples, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026

Deep passion for chess Russia has a deep and proud chess tradition, and amateurs can be seen hunched over boards on pavements and in parks at virtually all times of the year. —CNN Money, 12 June 2026

Eschewing fences and pavement in favor of natural footpaths lined with brambles and shrubs, these slender pathways provide epic sea views while leaving the ancestral homes of other animals intact. —Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

Basically, the pavement gets hotter than outdoor air temperatures, and that higher heat impacts the grass along driveways and sidewalks. —Molly Burford, Southern Living, 11 June 2026

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