to cover (a road, path, etc) with a firm surface suitable for travel, as with paving stones or concrete to serve as the material for a pavement or other hard layer: bricks paved the causeway - (often followed by with)
to cover with a hard layer (of): shelves paved with marble to prepare or make easier (esp in the phrase pave the way): to pave the way for future development
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
pave /peɪv/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object], paved, pav•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Buildingto cover or lay (a road, etc.) with concrete, stones, etc., to make a firm, level surface:They always seem to pave the roads in hot weather.
- Idioms pave the way for, [~ + object] to prepare the way for;
make possible:The negotiations should pave the way for more business for us.
pave
(pāv),USA pronunciation v.t., paved, pav•ing.
n.
pa•vé (pə vā′, pav′ā; Fr. pa vā′),USA pronunciation n., pl. pa•vés (pə vāz′, pav′āz; Fr. pa vā′),USA pronunciation adv., adj.
n.
adv.
adj.
- Buildingto cover or lay (a road, walk, etc.) with concrete, stones, bricks, tiles, wood, or the like, so as to make a firm, level surface.
- Idioms pave the way to or 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.
n.
- Dialect Terms[Southern Louisiana.]a paved road.
- Vulgar Latin *pavare, for Latin pavīre to beat, ram, tread down
- Middle French paver
- Middle English paven 1275–1325
pa•vé (pə vā′, pav′ā; Fr. pa vā′),USA pronunciation n., pl. pa•vés (pə vāz′, pav′āz; Fr. pa vā′),USA pronunciation adv., adj.
n.
- Buildinga pavement.
- Jewelrya setting of stones placed close together so as to show no metal between them.
adv.
- Jewelryin the manner of a pavé;
as a pavé:diamonds set pavé.
adj.
- JewelryAlso, pa•véd′, pa•véed′. being set pavé:pavé rubies.
- French, past participle of paver. See pave
- 1755–65
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'paved road' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):