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.

---

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.

---

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

---

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

---

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

Example Sentences

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have identified a surprising property in a class of materials known as perovskites that could pave the way for a new generation of light-controlled semiconductor devices.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

Moonshot AI, one of China’s most promising artificial-intelligence startups, is considering changing its corporate structure to pave the way for an initial public offering in Hong Kong, people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

That, he said, could pave the way for new investment.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week upgraded an investigation into Tesla’s FSD, which could pave the road for a potential recall.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

In a few years he will graduate and pave his way, alone and unprotected.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri