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 limousine was there and the back door was open and John was lying on the pavement. —Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 2 May 2025

Vanderbilt Avenue organizers use them to mark the bike lanes along the six-block stretch to prevent cyclists from mowing down children chalking the pavement or 50-year-olds dancing to a jazz quartet. —Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 1 May 2025

Smartly dressed in black topcoat and hat, a leash dangling in his left hand, Caillebotte looks down at the cobblestone pavement at his sheepdog, who awaits its master’s next move. —James Meyer, Artforum, 1 May 2025

American Prairie is one of the most remote landscapes in the lower 48, with some sections located hours from pavement. —Adam Roy, Outside Online, 24 Apr. 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