Skip to main content
paving stone

paving stone

3 2.8
A flat piece of stone used to make a hard surface for paths or roads
  • noun
translation icon : piedra de pavimentación
  • The pathway was beautifully lined with square paving stones that created a smooth surface.
  • uneven paving stones
  • cracked paving stones
  • rough paving stones

She'd been beaten over the head with a paving stone.

Examples

  • The garden path was enhanced by decorative paving stones that added elegance to the landscape.

  • The dust came to rest, filtering gently down through the air to settle upon the paving stones.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Look what I found under a paving stone.

  • Look, I fell... ...because of those paving stones.

  • For a generous donation, you could put a veteran's name on a paving stone around the memorial.

    Blog text (3)
  • His footsteps sounded louder than he liked on patches of exposed paving stones.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The Sierra bumped over paving stones to a halt.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • A strange smell of the sea, rotten fruit, and papers littering the paving stones of the narrow street.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • A kitchen with a cast-iron stove where you can get soup, and outside on the paving stones, three wooden tables with benches.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • We walked along the paving stones that formed the charming streets of the old town.

Synonyms

stone
vspaving stone
976 1.0

A hard natural rock used for building or a small piece of it

is specifically a flat piece used to make hard even walkways or floors
cobblestone
vspaving stone
18 4.0

A small rounded stone used to pave old streets and squares

is the flat modern piece used for even surfaces instead of rounded blocks
flagstone
vspaving stone
9 4.9

A flat thin piece of stone used to make a path or patio

is broader and not limited to thin slabs or patio use
cobble
vspaving stone
  • Archaic
5 7.7

A rounded stone used to pave old streets

is the flat even unit intended for smooth modern surfaces
paver
vspaving stone
2 3.6

A flat stone or concrete block used to make paths and patios

is the specific flat natural piece used for creating hard even surfaces
curbstone
vspaving stone
  • US
1 4.9

A stone that forms the edge of a sidewalk or road

is the general flat piece used across roads and paths
sett
vspaving stone
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A rectangular paving stone with a curved top used in old streets

is the flat even piece used now rather than the rounded historic block
clinker
vspaving stone
  • Specialized
8.8

A hard brick used for paving streets and floors

is natural flat material rather than manufactured fired bricks

How Big

slab
87 3.3
paving stone
3 2.8
flagstone
9 4.9
cobblestone
18 4.0

Surface Forms

paving stone singular
paving stones plural

Morphology

paving + stone

The meaning is directly derivable from the constituents: 'paving' (surface material for walking/driving) + 'stone' (rock), so the compound denotes a stone used for paving. This is a regular noun–noun composition common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Paving stone comes from the simple idea of a flat stone used for paving a path or road. Imagine laying flat stones side by side to make a hard, even surface, and you can see why paving stone means 'a flat piece of stone used to make a road, path, or floor'.