tarmac

1 of 2

noun

tar·​mac ˈtär-ˌmak How to pronounce tarmac (audio)
: a tarmacadam road, apron, or runway

Tarmac

2 of 2

trademark

used for a bituminous binder for roads

Examples of tarmac in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Travelling with his wife Queen Camilla, the king landed in Ottawa May 26, meeting on the airport tarmac with U.K. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Governor General Mary Simon, his representative in Canada. USA Today, 28 May 2025 The plan also includes investing in new ground radar sensors on tarmacs and at airports, a new flight management system and some new air traffic control towers and other facilities, Duffy said. Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 8 May 2025 Airlines experienced 437 tarmac delays of three hours or more on domestic flights. Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 22 May 2025 The road south from Khartoum was a black tarmac strip through flat scrubland. Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tarmac

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from Tarmac, a trademark

First Known Use

Noun

1919, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tarmac was in 1919

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tarmac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tarmac. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

tarmac

noun
tar·​mac ˈtär-ˌmak How to pronounce tarmac (audio)
: a road, apron, or runway paved with layers of crushed stone covered with tar

More from Merriam-Webster on tarmac

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