pavement
- 01 B1 Intermediate
the hard path at the side of a road for people to walk on.
the paved path for pedestrians located at the side of a road. In British English, this is the standard term for what Americans call a 'sidewalk'.
Simple“The children were told to stay on the pavement and away from the cars.”
In context“The council decided to widen the pavement to accommodate the increased foot traffic from the new underground station.”
UsageCommonly used with the preposition 'on'.
PitfallI was walking on the pavement when a car hit me. I was walking on the pavement when a car drove past.In British English, cars drive on the road, not the pavement. If you are in the US, 'pavement' usually refers to the road surface itself.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the hard surface of a road or a large area like a car park.
the durable surface layer of a road, street, or parking area, typically made of asphalt or concrete.
Simple“The hot sun made the pavement soft and sticky.”
In context“Engineers are testing a new type of porous pavement that allows rainwater to soak through into the ground rather than creating puddles.”
Teacher's tipIn North America, 'pavement' refers to the road surface where vehicles drive, whereas in the UK, it refers to where people walk.
From Middle English pament, from Anglo-Norman pavement and reinforced by Middle French pavement; both from Latin pavīmentum (“paved surface or floor”), from pavīre (“to beat, to ram, to tread down”). Morphologically pave + -ment.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.