tarmac
/ˈtɑː(ɹ)mæk/ noun, verb
Forms tarmacs tarmacking tarmacing tarmaccing tarmacked tarmaced tarmacced
- noun Tarmacadam.
- noun (loosely, UK, Ireland, Canada) Any bituminous road surfacing material.
- noun (UK, Ireland, Canada) The driveable surface of a road.
- noun (informal, aviation) The area of an airport, other than the runway, where planes park or maneuver.
- verb (UK, Canada) To pave with tarmacadam or a similar material.
- verb (aviation) To spend time idling on a runway, usually waiting for takeoff clearance.
Synonyms
Etymology
Clipping of tarmacadam, which is from tar + macadam (“crushed stones”). Originally a trademark owned by its inventor, Edgar Hooley.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “tarmac”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details