paving

UK: /ˈpeɪvɪŋ/ US: /ˈpeɪvɪŋ/ ,(pā′ving)

From the verb pave: (⇒ conjugate)

paving is: ⓘ

v pres p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

pav•ing /ˈpeɪvɪŋ/   n. [uncountable]

1. Civil Engineering a pavement.
2. Civil Engineering material for paving.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

pav•ing  (pā′ving), n. 

1. Civil Engineering a pavement.
2. Civil Engineering material for paving.
3. Civil Engineering the laying of a pavement.

• 1400–50; late Middle English; see pave, -ing¹

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

paving / ˈpeɪvɪŋ/ noun

1. a paved surface; pavement
2. material used for a pavement, such as paving stones, bricks, or asphalt

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

pave /peɪv/   v. [~ + object] , paved, pav•ing. 

1. Building to 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

2. Idioms pave the way for, [~ + object] to prepare the way for;
   make possible:
   The negotiations should pave the way for more business for us.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

pave  (pāv), v.t., paved, pav•ing. 

1. Building 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.
2. 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. 

3. 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′), n., pl. pa•vés (pə vāz′, pav′āz; Fr. pa vā′), adv., adj. 
n. 

1. Building a pavement.
2. Jewelry a setting of stones placed close together so as to show no metal between them.

adv. 

3. Jewelry in the manner of a pavé;
   as a pavé:
   diamonds set pavé.

adj. 

4. Jewelry Also, pa•véd′, pa•véed′. being set pavé:
   pavé rubies.

• French, past participle of paver. See pave
• 1755–65

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

pave / peɪv/ verb (transitive)

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 followed 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

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French paver, from Latin pavīre to ram down

ˈpaver noun