Tarmac is a material used for making road surfaces, consisting of crushed stones mixed with tar.
[British, trademark]
...a strip of tarmac.
...tarmac paths.
regional note: in AM, usually use blacktop
2. singular noun
The tarmac is an area with a surface made of tarmac, especially the area from which planes take off at an airport.
Standing on the tarmac were two American planes.
tarmac in British English
(ˈtɑːmæk)
noun
1.
a paving material that consists of crushed stone rolled and bound with a mixture of tar and bitumen, esp as formerly used for a road, airport runway, etc
Full name: tarmacadam (ˌtɑːməˈkædəm). See also macadam
2. the tarmac
verbWord forms: -macs, -macking or -macked
3. (transitive)(usually not capital)
to apply tarmac to
Word origin
C20: an abbreviation of tarmacadm, from tar1 + macadam
tarmac in American English
(ˈtɑrˌmæk)
noun
1.
tarmacadam
2. Chiefly British
an airport runway or apron
3. Chiefly British
a paved road
Word origin
< tarmacadam
Examples of 'tarmac' in a sentence
tarmac
And fresh tarmac on roads melted under the sun's rays.
The Sun (2016)
When we hit tarmac again it felt odd to be pedalling along smooth cycle paths.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We sat on the tarmac for two hours just looking at each other.
The Sun (2014)
It has a huge tarmac car park and a hotel on site.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Join a short curve of tarmac and leave on grassy path to right.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The interpreter talks about the plane landing on the hot tarmac.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
When he hit the tarmac he ran to his car and drove home.
The Sun (2010)
They sat on the tarmac for six hours before being told they would not be flying.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The bomb did not explode but as it hit the tarmac the ground shook.
Len Deighton Bomber
After an hour the tarmac runs out.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
All the rest will hit the tarmac.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
At their request an aircraft was drawn up ready for takeoff on the tarmac at Munich airport.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
They dumped it at the tarmac road, where they had cars waiting.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Congo has less than 300 miles of tarmac roads outside its main cities.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
But my days of getting off the plane to the smell of hot, foreign tarmac are over.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
On an island without cars, street lights or tarmac roads such proposals were regarded as alarmingly modern.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You need to cut back on your training, avoid hills and try and run on softer surfaces than tarmac.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
I was stuck on the tarmac at Miami airport for three hours.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
On a stretch of smooth, open tarmac you'll find the tweaked steering a joy.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We came in sideways, touched wheels to tarmac, then flew round again.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
I arrived in Switzerland with a bunch of flowers that nearly blew away as a gust of snow blasted down the airport tarmac.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The second the plane's wheels touch the tarmac I switch on my phone.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Word lists with
tarmac
America
In other languages
tarmac
British English: tarmac /ˈtɑːmæk/ NOUN
materialTarmac is a material used for making road surfaces, consisting of crushed stones mixed with tar. Tarmac is a trademark.
...a strip of tarmac.
American English: blacktop
Arabic: طريق أَسْفَلْتي
Brazilian Portuguese: asfalto
Chinese: 沥青碎石路面
Croatian: asfalt sa šljunkom
Czech: asfalt
Danish: tjærebeton
Dutch: tarmac
European Spanish: asfalto
Finnish: asfaltti
French: macadam
German: Asphalt
Greek: καλντερίμι
Italian: asfalto
Japanese: タールマカダム
Korean: 타맥
Norwegian: grovt asfaltdekke
Polish: asfalt
European Portuguese: asfalto
Romanian: amestec asfaltic
Russian: дегтебетон
Latin American Spanish: asfalto
Swedish: asfalt
Thai: ยางมะตอย
Turkish: asfalt
Ukrainian: щебінь
Vietnamese: tarmac
British English: tarmac NOUN
surfaceThe tarmac is an area with a surface made of tarmac, especially the area from which planes take off at an airport.