pave

¹ American  

[peyv] / peɪv /

verb (used with object)

paved, paving

1. to cover or lay (a road, walk, etc.) with concrete, stones, bricks, tiles, wood, or the like, so as to make a firm, level surface.

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noun

1. Southern Louisiana. a paved road.

idioms

1. pave the way to / for, to prepare for and facilitate the entrance of; lead up to.

   His analysis of the college market paved the way for their entry into textbook publishing.

pavé ² American  

[puh-vey, pav-ey, pa-vey] / pəˈveɪ, ˈpæv eɪ, paˈveɪ /

noun

plural

pavés

1. a pavement.

2. Jewelry. a setting of stones placed close together so as to show no metal between them.

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adverb

1. Jewelry. in the manner of a pavé; as a pavé.

   diamonds set pavé.

adjective

1. Also pavéd, pavéed being set pavé.

   pavé rubies.

pave ¹ British  

/ peɪv /

verb

1. to cover (a road, path, etc) with a firm surface suitable for travel, as with paving stones or concrete

2. to serve as the material for a pavement or other hard layer

   bricks paved the causeway

3. (often foll by with) to cover with a hard layer (of)

   shelves paved with marble

4. to prepare or make easier (esp in the phrase pave the way )

   to pave the way for future development

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pavé ² British  

/ ˈpæveɪ /

noun

1. a paved surface, esp an uneven one

2. a style of setting gems so closely that no metal shows

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Other Word Forms

• paver noun
• unpaved adjective
• well-paved adjective

Etymology

Origin of pave¹

1275–1325; Middle English paven < Middle French paver < Vulgar Latin *pavare, for Latin pavīre to beat, ram, tread down

Origin of pavé²

1755–65; < French, past participle of paver. See pave

Explanation

To pave is to coat or cover with a very hard material, like concrete, asphalt, or stone. It's easier to shovel snow from your driveway after you pave it. When road crews pour hot asphalt on the street, they pave it, and when the city creates new sidewalks in your town, they may pave them with bricks or concrete. The colloquial expression "to pave the way for" means to set up a situation that allows something to happen more easily — for example, if your parents read you books from the time you were very small, they helped pave the way for you to love reading.

Example Sentences

Big picture: Robust retail sales in the first three months of the year could pave the way for a rebound in gross domestic product in the first quarter.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

"If government can't do the small things, how could you ever trust it to do the big ones? How can we promise to transform our city if we can't pave your street?"

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

But success in those other races does not always translate to joy on the pave.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Some geopolitical strategists have floated the prospect that the summit could pave the way for Chinese investment into the U.S.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

It would get them to be friends and then pave the way for him and her to live happily ever after.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali