verb
pave
payv
verb
1
To cover a surface such as a road or path with a hard material like concrete, stone, or asphalt.
"The council paved the old dirt track so cyclists could use it."
"Workers paved the driveway with brick."
2
To make something possible or easier for what comes next, as in "pave the way."
"Her research paved the way for a new generation of vaccines."
How to Use Pave
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo lay a hard surface, or figuratively, to set things up so something else can happen easily.
Common pairings
pave the way
pave a road
a paved surface
Word Forms
paved past tense, paves singular
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The council _____ the old dirt track so cyclists could use it.
Etymology
From Old French paver, tracing back to a Vulgar Latin word meaning "to beat down" or "ram" — describing how early road surfaces were compacted.