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

The reconstruction includes replacing pavement, improving drainage systems and upgrading pedestrian facilities. —Maddie Robinson, Twin Cities, 13 Nov. 2024

Trees and vines overhung the road, and the pavement was cracked and breaking up along the shoulders, but none of it made for a difficult climb, only a bit sticky in the stagnant heat. —Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024

The lower speed is effective for clearing the pavement or tight corners, and the higher speed works well on the open lawn. —Sandi Schwartz, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2024

Two decades after it was introduced, Ducati’s do-everything model, the Multistrada, has evolved from an ungainly ugly duckling to a sleek pavement scorcher than can also head off the pavement. —William Roberson, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

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
• pound the streets/pavement

Kids Definition

pavement

noun

pave·​ment ˈpāv-mənt 

1

: a paved surface (as of a street)

2

: the material with which something is paved