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

Utah’s ranking resulted from better rural pavement, relatively low fatalities and lower traffic congestion. —Bruce Finley, The Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2025

Many of the surrounding streets were dotted with dark, bronze memorial stones, rising partway above the level of the pavement, catching at the feet of passers-by. —Hazlitt, 12 Mar. 2025

And on the logistics side, weather technology can deliver accurate forecasts for the slickness of the pavement on specific roads. —Renny Vandewege, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025

An officer later drives his knee into Hill’s back as the receiver laid face down on the pavement. —C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025

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

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