Noah Webster
Pave
PAVE, verb transitive [Latin pavio; Gr. to beat, to strike.]
1. To lay or cover with stone or brick so as to make a level or convenient surface for horses, carriages or foot passengers; to floor with brick or stone; as, to pave a street; to pave a side-walk; to pave a court or stable.
2. To prepare a passage; to facilitate the introduction of. The invention of printing paved the way for intellectual improvement.