tarmac

Everyday

1. Tarmac is a hard black material for road and path surfaces, made of crushed stones mixed with tar. tree →
2. «The tarmac» often means the area of an airport where planes park and take off. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, roads, playgrounds and driveways are covered with tarmac; in hot weather it can get very hot and even soft. In news: «The plane waited on the tarmac». In science, dark tarmac absorbs heat from the sun more than light surfaces.

Examples

• The playground is covered in tarmac. tree →
• Workers laid new tarmac on our road. tree →
• The plane sat on the tarmac for an hour. tree →
• Tarmac gets very hot in summer, so dogs shouldn't walk on it at midday. tree →
• He grazed his knee on the tarmac. tree →
• The rain made the tarmac shiny and slippery. tree →

Note

Uncountable noun. It is short for «tarmacadam», once a trade name, so some write «Tarmac» with a capital. In the USA, people usually say «asphalt» or «blacktop» for roads. In science, dark surfaces like tarmac absorb more heat than light ones.