Tarmac

[ tahr-mak ]

/ ˈtɑr mæk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR Tarmac ON THESAURUS.COM

Trademark.

a brand of bituminous binder, similar to tarmacadam, for surfacing roads, airport runways, parking areas, etc.

noun

(lowercase) a road, airport runway, parking area, etc., paved with Tarmac, tarmacadam, or a layer of tar.

(lowercase) a layer or covering of Tarmac, tarmacadam, or tar.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tarmac

He saluted the Marines standing guard on the tarmac with his right hand—the hand with the coffee cup in it.
Obama, the Coffee Salute, and the Dementia on the Right|Sally Kohn|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Only 101 lives were lost by the two air forces and most of those were not caused by crashes but by accidents on the tarmac.
Blood and War: The Hard Truth About ‘Boots on the Ground’|Clive Irving|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We all grabbed our gear, lined up, and walked across the tarmac.
How I’ll End the War: My First Week Back in Afghanistan|Nick Willard|May 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Upon landing, he was reportedly spotted wandering the tarmac with only a comb in his pocket.
How to Hitchhike a Plane—and Survive|Kent Sepkowitz|April 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The couple were met on the tarmac by Tony Abbott, the prime minister.
New Pictures As Prince George Arrives in Australia|Tom Sykes|April 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A single plane, wet and gleaming under the sobbing heavens, stood on the tarmac, two heavily coated figures before it.
Astounding Stories, February, 1931|Various
His helicopter props spun, and the scout nestled down lightly on the tarmac.
Astounding Stories, February, 1931|Various
Mechanics were climbing down out of cockpits and walking along down the tarmac in groups.
Dave Dawson with the R.A.F|R. Sidney Bowen
Half an hour later the two air aces were out on the tarmac, and ready to leave.
Dave Dawson with the Commandos|R. Sidney Bowen
He went out and took the slide-stair down to the tarmac where squad ship 390 waited in standard police readiness.
A Matter of Importance|William Fitzgerald Jenkins

British Dictionary definitions for tarmac

tarmac

/ (ˈtɑːmæk) /

noun

a paving material that consists of crushed stone rolled and bound with a mixture of tar and bitumen, esp as formerly used for a road, airport runway, etcFull name: tarmacadam (ˌtɑːməˈkædəm) See also macadam

the tarmac a runway at an airporton the tarmac at Nairobi airport

verb -macs, -macking or -macked

(tr) (usually not capital) to apply tarmac to

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for tarmac

tarmac

1903 as a trademark name, short for tarmacadam (1882) "pavement created by spraying tar over crushed stone," from tar (n.1) + John Latin McAdam (see macadam). By 1919, tarmac was being used generally in Great Britain for "runway."

Tarmac

Trademark.

noun

RELATED WORDS

Examples from the Web for tarmac

tarmac

noun

verb -macs, -macking or -macked

tarmac