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

Example Sentences

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

England's Six Nations campaign plunges deeper into crisis as second-half yellow cards for Sam Underhill and Maro Itoje pave the way to victory for a joyous Italy in Rome.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

She welcomed Wednesday’s ruling by a New York federal judge that may pave the way for companies to collect refunds on tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

Ana was trying to pave a very rocky road, Joaquin could tell.

From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway