A mixture of crushed rock and tar with was a pre curser to modern Asphalt.
Of course you only hear the word now days by nit wit news people who picked up the term after the 1972 TWA hi-jacking where British reporters on the scene referred to the airliner "sitting on the tarmac". In British terms they commonly use tarmac like we in the USA would use the word "Asphalt". As is so common with reporters they like to repeat words and phrases that have an International flavor whether they know the meaning or not.
Of course you only hear the word now days by nit wit news people who picked up the term after the 1972 TWA hi-jacking where British reporters on the scene referred to the airliner "sitting on the tarmac". In British terms they commonly use tarmac like we in the USA would use the word "Asphalt". As is so common with reporters they like to repeat words and phrases that have an International flavor whether they know the meaning or not.
You are driving down an old country road constructed with the old fashioned process of rock and tar called "tarmac"
by Reid Alan August 19, 2010
Get the Tarmac mug.Tarmack is a reference to a discovery by a man named MacAdams. MacAdams found that crushed rock, as opposed to pea gravel, could be compacted into a firm and durable surface if mixed with asphalt tar and compacted.'Tarmac is a term almost universally misused to describe an airports runway, which are always concrete, not blacktop, paving, or tarmack.
Driving through the California motherload, we could see remains of the tarmack that once was the surface of the main road.
by Jim Inman August 17, 2006
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by LG bandit January 19, 2009
Get the tarmac mug.A word cherished by news corporations in the wake of any aviation incident that occurs at any airport. Tarmac refers to any paved area on an airport and usually replaces such words as apron, ramp, taxiway, or runway. Most of these areas are actually paved with concrete and not tarmac.
Passengers were left stranded for hours on the tarmac at Chicago O'Hare International Airport after the plane suffered engine problems.
by TootMcBoot November 7, 2017
Get the tarmac mug.A word which gives much joy to news people, who think they have discovered what to call the hard surface where aircraft park at an airport. The correct term is "ramp".
Upon exiting Marine One and seeing the news cameras rolling, Bush strutted like Ronnie across the tarmac.
by _db_ August 29, 2007
Get the tarmac mug.A paved area, which is used to escape "run", "take-off" or "fly" from a lock down facility. The pavement generally consists of crushed material; such as, glass or stone, which is rolled with a mixture of bitumen and tar. Often mistaken for asphalt, this material is distinguished by loosened debris, which can be used for self-harm.
by ExecutiveDirectorRTC January 10, 2013
Get the Tarmac mug.by Instyle coral May 28, 2018
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