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 Investigators placed dozens of yellow evidence markers on the pavement, WSVN’s footage showed. Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 Cruiser lights flashed blue and red, reflecting in the dark pools on the cold pavement. Thomas Lake, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 The Ducks also sponsor a street hockey tournament each year, sending coaches into grade schools to teach kids how to play on the pavement wearing sneakers or in-line skates, easing the need for expensive equipment and ice. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Don’t fall down and smack your head on the pavement at this news, but there’s a new Miranda Priestly in town. Anna Chan, Billboard, 19 Feb. 2024 Potholes are created when water seeps beneath the pavement through cracks, according to Indianapolis' website. Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Feb. 2024 The more than $400 million plan will rehabilitate the highway pavement, improve drainage, add lighting and other enchantments. Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 9 Feb. 2024 Gulf Beaches Mérida may be a thriving, cosmopolitan city, but one of my favorite things to do here is escape the pavement and hit the beach. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2024 In the community of Quartz Hill, 45th Street West was closed from Avenue K to Avenue K-8 because of pavement failure. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 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 19 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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