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

This is two minutes before the 911 call of the body found down below on the pavement. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025

Like an even more concentrated heat island effect, temperatures on the pavement can sky rocket. —Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 3 Dec. 2025

Traffic was slowed to a crawl in on some major routes as the snow quickly stuck to the pavement. —Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 1 Dec. 2025

Workers also will restripe the toll plaza pavement. —Adrian Rodriguez, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 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