tarmac

1 of 2

noun

tar·​mac ˈtär-ˌmak 

: a tarmacadam road, apron, or runway

Tarmac

2 of 2

trademark

—used for a bituminous binder for roads

Examples of tarmac in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Last week, ahead of the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Al Udeid saw many of the transport planes, fighter jets and drones typically on its tarmac dispersed. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 June 2025

Lengthy tarmac delays — defined as more than three hours on domestic flights and exceeding four hours on international flights — have jumped. —Christine Chung, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025

Last year, airlines reported 437 long tarmac delays on domestic flights, compared with 289 in 2023, and 61 on international flights, compared with 35 in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. —Christine Chung, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025

The Sundays staff met me at the Hamilton Island Airport, collected my bags, and a seamless transfer had me from tarmac to check-in in five minutes flat. —Alli Forde, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from Tarmac, a trademark

First Known Use

Noun

1919, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tarmac

• the tarmac

Rhymes for tarmac

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

tarmac

noun

tar·​mac ˈtär-ˌmak 

: a road, apron, or runway paved with layers of crushed stone covered with tar