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Macadam

//məˈkædəm// name, noun, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname, an alternative form of MacAdam.
  2. 2
    A surname from Scottish Gaelic.
Noun
  1. 1
    The surface of a road consisting of layers of crushed stone (usually tar-coated for modern traffic). uncountable

    "This narrow-gauge line had suffered the same fate as that between Schull and Skibbereen, with the track taken up except where it runs through one of the town streets and is embedded in the macadam."

  2. 2
    a paved surface having compressed layers of broken rocks held together with tar wordnet
  3. 3
    Any road or street. US, countable, dated
  4. 4
    broken stone used in macadamized roadways wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To cover or surface with macadam. transitive
  2. 2
    surface with macadam wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

Named after Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam (1756–1836), who invented the process of macadamization. Used for describing road surfaces originally constructed using the McAdam method, but now sometimes used for any road or street.

Etymology 2

Named after Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam (1756–1836), who invented the process of macadamization. Used for describing road surfaces originally constructed using the McAdam method, but now sometimes used for any road or street.

Etymology 3

A spelling variant of McAdam.

See also for "macadam"

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