pavement

noun

pave·​ment ˈpāv-mənt How to pronounce pavement (audio)
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)

Example Sentences

He stopped the car just off the pavement. The summer heat rose off the pavement.
Recent Examples on the Web Eight crosses with candlelights were spread out on the pavement. Alfredo Corchado, Dallas News, 11 May 2023 Best Cordless Leaf Blowers What to Consider Electric leaf blowers will sweep pavement of grass clippings and remove a scattering of light leaves from normal-height grass. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 4 May 2023 The ancient pavement is 24 feet and 10 inches square and made from 90,000 pieces of glass and hand-cut stone, much of it recycled from Roman mosaics. Peter Ross, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2023 Different modes can fine-tune your powertrain and steering receptivity for different conditions – mud, gravel, snow, pavement – or to maximize your energy. Josh Max, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2023 The city planned to replace four blocks of pavement and sidewalk from Chicago Avenue to Benton Avenue this year in a project similar to the work completed on other downtown streets in 2022. Suzanne Baker, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2023 Broken glass and blood stains littered the street pavement outside the sedan. oregonlive, 14 Feb. 2023 In Seattle, juvenile terns tried to flee rooftop nests for cooler cover and died, plunging to the burning asphalt pavement below. Marion Renault, The New Republic, 3 May 2023 For runners who often transition from smooth pavement to uneven singletrack or fire roads, the Scarpa Golden Gate ATR provides a one-shoe solution for your next outing. Nathan Borchelt, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2023 See More

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pavement was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near pavement

Cite this Entry

“Pavement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pavement. Accessed 30 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

pavement

noun
pave·​ment ˈpāv-mənt How to pronounce pavement (audio)
1
: a paved surface (as of a street)
2
: the material with which something is paved

More from Merriam-Webster on pavement

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