tarmac
tarmac Lexical Profile
tarmac Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A paved outdoor area at an airport, including runways, taxiways, and aprons, where aircraft park, load, and maneuver.
"Passengers waited inside the plane on the tarmac for nearly an hour before takeoff."
A dark, durable paving material consisting of crushed stone or aggregate bound with tar or bitumen, used especially for surfacing roads and driveways.
"The summer heat softened the freshly laid tarmac along the country lane."
• verb
British To surface or pave a road, driveway, or outdoor area with tarmac.
"The municipal council hired contractors to tarmac the gravel parking lot before winter."
Word Nuance & Usage
In aviation, pilots and ground crew prefer the technical terms 'apron', 'ramp', or 'taxiway', though 'tarmac' remains the standard general term in journalism and everyday speech for any paved airport surface.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 20th century as a trademarked shortening of 'tarmacadam', a blend of 'tar' and 'macadam' (a road-building method named after Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam).