macadam

[ muh-kad-uhm ]

noun

1. a macadamized road or pavement.
2. the broken stone used in making such a road.

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of macadam¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of macadam¹

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

Example Sentences

A tarry odor like hot macadam or turpentine, but with a woodsy edge.

From Literature

When the firefighters pulled up on Woodland Drive, the severed power lines were dancing in the street, showering it with sparks and melting the macadam.

From Washington Post

My steroid-addled auditory cortex had interpreted the drumming of my tires on macadam as the jazz song “Sunrise Serenade.”

From Washington Post

At the edge of the woods, where the grassy roadside banked above the macadam, they stopped to wait for an opening in the traffic.

From Literature

When the scallops are abundant, gulls pluck them from shallows, drop them on the macadam from a height, and swoop down to eat the meat from the cracked shell.

From New York Times

Related Words

• sand
• shale