tarmac

Meanings

Noun

• Tarmacadam.
• Any bituminous road surfacing material.
• The driveable surface of a road.
• The area of an airport, other than the runway, where planes park or maneuver.

Verb

• To pave with tarmacadam or a similar material.
• To spend time idling on a runway, usually waiting for takeoff clearance.

Origin

• Short form of tarmacadam, which is tar + macadam (crushed stones). Originally a trademark owned by its inventor Edgar Hooley.