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

There was a moment in the 2010s, as the cultural heat dissipated in Brooklyn and that energy moved out west, that Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice was the coolest stretch of pavement in America. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 19 Nov. 2025

They’re built to take on root and rock-covered terrain, smooth pavement, and everything in between. —Jakob Schiller, Outside, 18 Nov. 2025

But burned soil can be as water-repellant as pavement, leading to more flash floods and debris flows, according to the weather service. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 17 Nov. 2025

Shoppers rave about its remarkably smooth wheels, which glide effortlessly on pavement, carpeting, cobblestones, and more. —Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 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