blacktop

noun

black·​top ˈblak-ˌtäp How to pronounce blacktop (audio)
: a bituminous material used especially for surfacing roads
also : a surface paved with blacktop
blacktop transitive verb

Examples of blacktop in a Sentence

road crews laying down blacktop
Recent Examples on the Web The tennis center was, essentially, the barbershop meets the blacktop. Rembert Browne, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023 Saved Stories Whatever basketball’s blue-collar bona fides, whatever its associations with the barbershop and the neighborhood blacktop, its culture has proved hostile to at least one category of everyman: the plumber. Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2023 And a weathered stretch of blacktop provided by a Methodist church became her yard, her neighborhood and her safe place. Rukmini Callimachi Ruth Fremson, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023 In late July, an afternoon heatwave seared the grimy blacktop outside the downtown L.A. music venue 1720. August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023 Some protesters lay on the roasting blacktop in tribute to those slain by mass shooters and other assailants while at least a dozen officers positioned behind police tape in front of the NRA Cafe looked on. Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2023 In terms of stability, the curved sole felt responsive and solid on grass and offered great shock absorption on blacktop. Samson McDougall, Health, 4 Aug. 2023 Here, visitors will experience a transformation of the riverside blacktop into a carnival-style exhibition that highlights the many facets of Black creativity, soundtracked by music that speaks to the essence of the Black experience in this country and abroad. Okla Jones, Essence, 25 Aug. 2023 But what if their destination extends where the blacktop ends, more specifically where surfaces are slipperier and rocks treat the underbody like George Foreman used to treat opponents in the boxing ring? Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 23 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blacktop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blacktop was in 1917

Dictionary Entries Near blacktop

Cite this Entry

“Blacktop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blacktop. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

blacktop

noun
black·​top -ˌtäp How to pronounce blacktop (audio)
: a bituminous material (as asphalt) used especially for surfacing roads
also : a surface paved with blacktop
blacktop verb

More from Merriam-Webster on blacktop

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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