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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
That’s more than enough breathing room for a modern retro that’s mostly meant to ply on slick tarmac. — New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026 Complete with a tarmac road and Space Age cars, Nicolas Ghesquière had turned the Cour Carrée of the Louvre into a retro-futurist racing track for his spring show, the vehicles’ headlights shining as the sun went down over the event’s finale. — Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026 The contrast to the White House’s treatment of a key ally, Japan — whose leader arrived on an empty tarmac then faced pressure over her country’s currency — was stark. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026 The last president to make the gesture was Barack Obama, who greeted then-Pope Francis on the Andrews tarmac 11 years ago this week. — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026 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

Phrases Containing tarmac

Rhymes for tarmac

See All Rhymes for tarmac

Browse Nearby Words

tarlatan
tarmac
Tarmac
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tarmac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tarmac. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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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
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