macadam
[ muh-kad-uh m ]
/ məˈkæd əm /
noun
a macadamized road or pavement.
the broken stone used in making such a road.
Nearby words
mac-, mac., macabre, macaca, macaco, macadam, macadamia, macadamization, macadamize, macanese, macao
Origin of macadam
1815–25; named after J. L. McAdam (1756–1836), Scottish engineer who invented it
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for macadam
British Dictionary definitions for macadam
macadam
/ (məˈkædəm) /
noun
a road surface made of compressed layers of small broken stones, esp one that is bound together with tar or asphalt
Word Origin for macadam
C19: named after John McAdam (1756–1836), Scottish engineer, the inventor
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for macadam
macadam
1824, named for inventor, Scottish civil engineer John L. McAdam (1756-1836), who developed a method of levelling roads and paving them with gravel and outlined the process in his pamphlet "Remarks on the Present System of Road-Making" (1822). Originally, road material consisting of a solid mass of stones of nearly uniform size laid down in layers; he did not approve of the use of binding materials or rollers. The idea of mixing tar with the gravel began 1880s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper