name
Meaning 1
Alternative spelling of MacAdam.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
macadam
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /məˈkædəm/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: M AH0 K AE1 D AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
name
Meaning 2
A surname from Scottish Gaelic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
The surface of a road consisting of layers of crushed stone (usually tar-coated for modern traffic).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
Any road or street.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, countable, dated
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To cover or surface with macadam.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: macadamize
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
a paved surface having compressed layers of broken rocks held together with tar
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tarmacadam, tarmac
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: paved surface
noun
Meaning 7
broken stone used in macadamized roadways
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: paving, pavement, paving material
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Celtic *makkwos Primitive Irish ᚋᚐᚊᚊᚔ (maqqi) Old Irish macc Middle Irish mac Scottish Gaelic mac Proto-Semitic *ʔadam- Hebrew אָדָםbor. Ancient Greek Ἀδάμ (Adám)bor. Latin Ādāmder. Old Irish Ádam Scottish Gaelic Àdhamh Scottish Gaelic Mac Àdhaimhder. English MacAdam Derived from Scottish Gaelic Mac Àdhaimh (“Adam's son”).
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.
Across languages
Translations
16 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: макадам (makadam) — surface of a road
- Czech: makadam — surface of a road
- Esperanto: makadamo — surface of a road
- Finnish: sepeli — surface of a road
- Finnish: murske — surface of a road
- German: Makadam — surface of a road
- Hungarian: makadám — surface of a road
- Pannonian Rusyn: макадам (makadam) — surface of a road
- Polish: makadam — surface of a road
- Portuguese: macadame — surface of a road
- Russian: ще́бень (ščébenʹ) — surface of a road
- Scottish Gaelic: bìth — surface of a road
- Scottish Gaelic: teàrr — surface of a road
- Serbo-Croatian: макадам — surface of a road
- Serbo-Croatian: makadam — surface of a road
- Ukrainian: макадам (makadam) — surface of a road