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

Every day, thousands of street vendors set up shop on a piece of pavement in Los Angeles and beyond to make a living and create a path out of poverty or to have their own bricks-and-mortar one day. —Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025

Body enhancements pin the ZR1 to the pavement with up to 1,200 pounds of aerodynamic downforce. —Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 25 June 2025

In another, a suspect was tackled to the pavement near a bench as a swarm of police closed in around him. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025

For this reason, McKinley recommends using it to kill weeds in cracks in driveways, pavement, and patios. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 June 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