pavement

noun

pave·​ment ˈpāv-mənt How to pronounce pavement (audio)
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 Pounding the pavement, doing self-tape after self-tape, and studying. Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 The figure doesn't take into account that some roads require rebuilding underneath the pavement, which would add more time and money. Rory Appleton, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 Other aspects of this project include replacing any lights that no longer work, repairing concrete, resurfacing pavement with a fresh layer of asphalt and installing new signs that can be easily read while driving at night. The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 Cable drums occupied the pavement, which appeared to be new. Thomas Korsgaard, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 The pavement on Palos Verdes Drive South, a major roadway through the community, is buckling. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 But access to the grounds was controlled, whereas anyone could enter Wednesday’s rally and find a spot on the grass, pavement, or in a tree. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 16 Feb. 2024 Eastbound Loop 202 narrowed to 1 or 2 lanes in areas between Dobson Road and Val Vista Drive Details: Eastbound Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) narrowed to one or two lanes overnight in areas between Dobson Road and Val Vista Drive in the southeast Valley for pavement maintenance. Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 9 Feb. 2024 Investigators placed dozens of yellow evidence markers on the pavement, WSVN’s footage showed. Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pavement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pavement was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near pavement

Cite this Entry

“Pavement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pavement. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pavement

noun
pave·​ment ˈpāv-mənt How to pronounce pavement (audio)
1
: a paved surface (as of a street)
2
: the material with which something is paved

More from Merriam-Webster on pavement

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