tarmacadam meaning

Tarmacadam means a road or paved surface made from layers of crushed stone bound together with tar (or similar binders like bitumen) and rolled smooth.

Quick meaning

• Core idea: Tarmacadam is both a material and a type of pavement.

• As a material: a mixture of small broken stones and tar/asphalt binder used for paving roads and similar surfaces.

• As a surface: a finished paved layer where these tar-bound stones are compressed into a smooth, durable roadway or hardstanding.

In everyday English, people often shorten tarmacadam to tarmac when talking about roads, driveways, or airport runways.