pave 
(pāv)
(pāv)tr.v. paved, pav·ing, paves
Idiom: 1. To cover with a pavement.
2. To cover uniformly, as if with pavement.
3. To be or compose the pavement of.
pave the way
To make progress or development easier: experiments that paved the way for future research.
[Middle English paven, from Old French paver, from Latin pavīre, to beat, tread down; see pau-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
paver n.