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

Diego Morales Morales pounded pavement over the 12-month period, racking up $10,116 in fuel expenses alone traveling to various counties for meetings and events. —Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 3 Oct. 2025

Oscar de la Renta’s collection embraced both qualities, yielding Clooney’s minidress moment — ideal for warm late-September New York City nights with crushed leaves on the pavement. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025

But that didn’t stop the sales team from pounding the phones and the pavement. —Chris Degnan, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025

Avoid sudden braking on wet pavement. —Staff Reports, AZCentral.com, 27 Sep. 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
• 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