tarmac
/ˈtɑː.mæk/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈɑrmˌæk] /ˈtɑːr.mæk/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈɑrmˌæk] /ˈtär-ˌmak How to pronounce tarmac (audio)/ (ame, mw) · /ˈtɑːmæk/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈɑrmˌæk] /ˈtɑːrmæk/ (ame, ipa)
tarmac — noun
1. a dark road-building mixture of tar and small stones that is spread to make a ha
a dark road-building mixture of tar and small stones that is spread to make a hard surface
Workers spread hot tarmac across the estate road before sunrise.
collocation: spread hot tarmac
Soft tarmac stuck to Mateo's shoes during the July heatwave.
A roller flattened the new tarmac outside the sports hall.
Rain left dark pools on the tarmac behind the bus depot.
The repair crew poured tarmac into the cracked lane by noon.
- asphalt
often overlaps, especially when talking about the finished road surface
- bitumen
more technical and often used for the material itself
- road surface
names the finished top layer rather than the mixture used to make it
文法句型
lay tarmac
hot tarmac
fresh tarmac
用法筆記
Usually uncountable and used when people talk about road building, repairs, or heat affecting the surface. Distinguish from sense 2, which names the paved airport ground rather than the material itself.
常見錯誤
2. the paved ground at an airport where planes stand, move slowly, or wait before o
the paved ground at an airport where planes stand, move slowly, or wait before or after a flight
Passengers stayed inside while the plane waited on the tarmac.
pattern: wait on the tarmac
Ground staff guided the jet across the wet tarmac to the gate.
pattern: across the tarmac
Snow covered the tarmac, so morning flights left two hours late.
Yuki watched luggage carts race over the tarmac from the terminal.
Engineers checked the left wheel as the aircraft stood on the tarmac.
文法句型
on the tarmac
across the tarmac
wait on the tarmac
用法筆記
Usually heard in travel news and airport talk, especially in the phrase on the tarmac. Distinguish from sense 1, which names the paving material instead of the place covered with it.
常見錯誤
tarmac — verb
- tarmacpresent simple I / you / we / they
- tarmacshe / she / it
- tarmackedpast simple
- tarmacking-ing form
1. to cover a road, path, or other outdoor area with tarmac so it becomes hard and
to cover a road, path, or other outdoor area with tarmac so it becomes hard and smooth
The council plans to tarmac the school driveway next month.
pattern: tarmac + surface
Workers tarmacked the footpath after the old bricks were removed.
Neighbours complained when crews tarmacked the lane before sunrise.
By Friday, the team had tarmacked the car park behind the clinic.
The yard was tarmacked last spring so delivery vans could enter.
- dig up
used when the hard surface is broken and removed
文法句型
tarmac a road, driveway, or path
be tarmacked
用法筆記
Object is usually a road, lane, path, driveway, or car park. This verb is especially common in British English, while American English more often uses pave or asphalt.