blacktop

American  

[blak-top] / ˈblækˌtɒp /

noun

1. a bituminous substance, usually asphalt, for paving roads, parking lots, playgrounds, etc.

2. a road covered with blacktop.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or surfaced with blacktop.

   a blacktop driveway.

verb (used with object)

blacktopped, blacktopping

1. to pave with blacktop.

blacktop British  

/ ˈblækˌtɒp /

noun

1. a bituminous mixture used for paving

2. a road paved with this mixture

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Etymology

Origin of blacktop

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35; black + top ¹

Example Sentences

The first sounds of the morning came from the tinny speaker playing hip-hop and reggaeton, and the crash of pine trees falling on the blacktop.

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2026

You want to see him skate on ice or blacktop, ask him.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

It’s three miles from there to State Route 92, a trek through mesquite and grassland, floodplains and furrows that serve as a rough-hewn pathway to the two-lane blacktop and the interior that lies beyond.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2025

"When she starts running her mouth, you better not say anything back because she won't miss!" is what was shared amongst the dudes who battled her on the blacktop daily.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2024

He held it down close to the blacktop, then up high in the air.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien