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

Don’t Take Life Too Cereus My shadow stretches across the pavement and onto the pale gray stone of the Mississippi Department of History and Archives. — Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026

Nearly 4 miles separated a piece of a Learjet’s tail from the burning crater gouged into the pavement where the aircraft came down. — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026

The Trailfinder goes an entirely different direction than its on-pavement sibling. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 3 Nov. 2026

Flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining the crater as shocked residents looked on in horror. — David Fischer, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 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