Pavers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Materials used for constructing strong surfaces on roads or patios
2. Blocks or slabs used to cover ground areas such as walkways or driveways ; people who install stones, bricks, or concrete to create hard surfaces outdoors
3. Flat stones, bricks, or tiles arranged to create durable floors or paths ; skilled laborers who set these materials in place to form paved areas

Etymology: The word "pavers" is the plural of "paver," a formation that simply attaches the agent suffix "-er" to the verb "pave." That suffix has a long pedigree: it descends from the Latin "-arius," which passed into Old English as "-ere" and eventually became the familiar "-er" in English, so a paver is, in effect, one who does the paving. "Pave" itself came into English through Old French, from the Latin "pavire," meaning to beat down or ram the ground firm. That original sense of pounding earth into a solid surface explains why a paving stone was never just decorative; it was about making ground hard enough to walk, ride, or drive on.

Synonyms: bricks, tiles, stones, slabs, blocks

Antonyms: dirt, mud, gravel, sand, loose material