pavement

pave-ment · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    (British) A paved path for pedestrians at the side of a road; a sidewalk.

  2. 2.

    (American) The hard surface of a road or street.

  3. 3.

    The hard covering of a surface, especially made of concrete or asphalt.

Forms

plural: pavements

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    pound the pavement — to walk the streets, especially when looking for work
  • •
    hit the pavement — to start walking or running outside

Related words

Antonyms: dirt road, unpaved surface
See also: concrete, road, sidewalk
Synonyms: footpath, roadway, sidewalk

Etymology

From Latin pavimentum ("a hard floor, beaten surface"), from pavire ("to beat, strike, tread down"). Related to French pavement.