macadam

[ muh-kad-uhm ]
See synonyms for macadam on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a macadamized road or pavement.

  2. the broken stone used in making such a road.

Origin of macadam

1
1815–25; named after J. L. McAdam (1756–1836), Scottish engineer who invented it

Words Nearby macadam

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use macadam in a sentence

  • The car raced along the road, crossed a macadam highway, went four blocks and pulled to a stop.

    The First One | Herbert D. Kastle

British Dictionary definitions for macadam

macadam

/ (məˈkædəm) /


noun
  1. a road surface made of compressed layers of small broken stones, esp one that is bound together with tar or asphalt

Origin of macadam

1
C19: named after John McAdam (1756–1836), Scottish engineer, the inventor

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