French word

macadam

Pronunciation

IPA/makadam/

Meaning

  • masculine nounpavement

Example

Ils ont réparé le macadam devant la maison hier.

They repaired the pavement in front of the house yesterday.

Illustration for macadam (pavement)

More examples

Le macadam de la route est abîmé.

The macadam on the road is damaged.

Core concept

A rough road surface formed by compacted layers of small broken stones.

Common phrases

  • route en macadam

    macadam road

  • revêtement en macadam

    macadam paving

  • surface en macadam

    macadam surface

Similar words

asphalte: A smooth road surface made from a petroleum-based paving mixture.
bitume: A dark, sticky petroleum-based material used for paving and waterproofing.
pavé: A paving stone laid with others to form an uneven road surface.
chaussée: The paved part of a road used by vehicles and pedestrians.

Definition in French

Surface de circulation faite de pierres concassées disposées en couches et comprimées, utilisée historiquement avant l'usage généralisé de l'asphalte.

Word origin

Macadam comes from the surname of Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam, whose nineteenth-century road method made the name a common French noun.

Usage tips

  • Macadam is masculine in French, so the standard article is le, as in le macadam.

Opposites

  • chemin de terredirt roadnoun
  • piste en terredirt tracknoun

Word lists with this word