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

Window frames littered the pavement. —Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026

The vehicle lowers slightly and seems to inhale the pavement. —Chris Jackson, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026

Most rooms have statement headboards and every one has a bathtub that calls to you after a day of pounding the pavements. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

While she's been dominating the New York pavement, Larter's mind has recently been back in the oil fields of Texas. —Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026

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