pavement

American  

[peyv-muhnt] / ˈpeɪv mənt /

noun

1. a paved road, highway, etc.

2. a paved surface, ground covering, or floor.

3. a material used for paving. pave.

4. Atlantic States and British. sidewalk.

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idioms

1. pound the pavement, to walk the streets in order to accomplish something.

   If you're going to find work you'd better start pounding the pavement.

pavement British  

/ ˈpeɪvmənt /

noun

1. US and Canadian word: sidewalk.  a hard-surfaced path for pedestrians alongside and a little higher than a road

2. a paved surface, esp one that is a thoroughfare

3. the material used in paving

4. civil engineering the hard layered structure that forms a road carriageway, airfield runway, vehicle park, or other paved areas

5. geology a level area of exposed rock resembling a paved road See limestone pavement

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pavement More Idioms  

1. see pound the pavement.

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Other Word Forms

• pavemental adjective
• prepavement noun
• subpavement noun

Etymology

Origin of pavement

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French < Latin pavīmentum. See pave, -ment

Example Sentences

Father stooped down to pick up a small bruised petal from the brick pavement; tenderly he inserted it in his buttonhole.

From Literature

Footage showed security officers lying on the pavement outside another stadium, according to videos verified by Storyful, a social-media intelligence firm owned by News Corp, the parent company of the Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal

The pavement petered out to a dirt road as we climbed higher and higher.

From Literature

Alex said the nature trail would be easier on my leg than pavement, so my plan is to walk to campus and start jogging once I’m on the trail.

From Literature

Work is ongoing with partner agency colleagues to ensure that crash gates, access roads and pavements remain clear.

From BBC

Related Words

• asphalt
• road
• sidewalk