macadam
/mə'kædəm/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A type of road surface: A paved surface made by compacting layers of small, broken stones, typically bound together with tar or another binder.
- The broken stone material: The crushed stone or gravel itself, used as the primary material in constructing such a road.
Usage and Examples
Noun (Road Surface):
- The old highway was originally constructed with macadam.
- Driving on the smooth macadam was a relief after the dirt track.
Noun (Material):
- The quarry supplied tons of macadam for the new road project.
- A truck delivered a load of gray macadam to the construction site.
Advanced Usage
- "Tarmacadam" (often shortened to "tarmac"): A later development where tar is used as a binding agent for the stone, creating a more durable surface. This is a specific variant of macadam.
- The airport's runways are paved with tarmacadam.
Variants and Related Words
- Macadamize (verb): To construct or pave a road with macadam.
- The city council voted to macadamize the main street.
- Macadamized (adjective): Describing a road that has been paved with macadam.
- We traveled along a well-maintained, macadamized road.
Synonyms
- Pavement: A general term for a paved surface, especially a sidewalk (UK) or road surface.
- Tarmac: Common term for asphalt or tarmacadam pavement, especially on roads and runways.
- Road metal: A term for broken stone used in road construction.
Notes on Meaning
The word originates from John Loudon McAdam, the Scottish engineer who invented this road construction technique in the early 19th century. While modern asphalt roads are a direct descendant, "macadam" often refers to the historical method or the specific crushed stone material, distinguishing it from contemporary asphalt or concrete surfaces.
Noun
- a paved surface having compressed layers of broken rocks held together with tar
- broken stone used in macadamized roadways