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Synonyms

pave

1 American  
[peyv] / peɪv /

verb (used with object)

paved, paving

  1. to cover or lay (a road, walk, etc.) with concrete, stones, bricks, tiles, wood, or the like, so as to make a firm, level surface.

noun

  1. Southern Louisiana. a paved road.

idioms

  1. pave the way to / for, to prepare for and facilitate the entrance of; lead up to.

    His analysis of the college market paved the way for their entry into textbook publishing.
pavé 2 American  
[puh-vey, pav-ey, pa-vey] / pəˈveɪ, ˈpæv eɪ, paˈveɪ /

noun

plural

pavés

  1. a pavement.

  2. Jewelry. a setting of stones placed close together so as to show no metal between them.

adverb

  1. Jewelry. in the manner of a pavé; as a pavé.

    diamonds set pavé.

adjective

  1. Also pavéd, pavéed being set pavé.

    pavé rubies.
pave 1 British  
/ peɪv /

verb

  1. to cover (a road, path, etc) with a firm surface suitable for travel, as with paving stones or concrete

  2. to serve as the material for a pavement or other hard layer

    bricks paved the causeway

  3. (often foll by with) to cover with a hard layer (of)

    shelves paved with marble

  4. to prepare or make easier (esp in the phrase pave the way )

    to pave the way for future development
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
pavé 2 British  
/ ˈpæveɪ /

noun

  1. a paved surface, esp an uneven one

  2. a style of setting gems so closely that no metal shows

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • paver noun
  • unpaved adjective
  • well-paved adjective

Etymology

Origin of pave1

1275–1325; Middle English paven < Middle French paver < Vulgar Latin *pavare, for Latin pavīre to beat, ram, tread down

Origin of pavé2

1755–65; < French, past participle of paver. See pave

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The legislation, which is in force as of March 1, "paves the way for Vietnam to deeply integrate with international standards while maintaining digital sovereignty", the government said in a December report.

From Barron's

The new bill will also pave the way for new targets on halting declines in nature, with the aim for there to be "clear recovery" by 2050.

From BBC

A paving stone on Parliament Walk in Alloa also marks a visit by the former prince on the same day.

From BBC

That appeared to pave the way for the emperor's daughter to rise to the Chrysanthemum Throne, but the birth of Prince Hisahito, the emperor's nephew, the following year silenced the debate.

From Barron's

Critics of a deal with Netflix voiced concern that the storied movie studio would be lost to the Silicon Valley streaming titan, paving the way for the depletion of cinema.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.