arcade

noun

ar·​cade är-ˈkād 

plural arcades

1

: a long arched building or gallery

2

a

: an arched covered passageway or avenue (as between shops)

b

chiefly British : a building that includes many shops

A job fair … today will introduce locals to the details of the 250 jobs that a new shopping arcade will bring when its doors open this autumn.

—The Journal (Newcastle, England)

3

: a series of arches with their columns or piers

4

: an amusement center having coin-operated games

Examples of arcade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Inside the entertainment complex, there is a professional-grade four-lane bowling alley, arcade gaming area, state-of-the-art indoor shooting range, and a club-style bar with seating for 20. —Dana Hunsinger Benbow, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025

The film is currently in production, with Paramount and Legendary releasing the first plot details for the movie, which will be set in 1993, the year the popular game Street Fighter II hit arcades. —Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025

The art of shinobi Dating back to 1987’s arcade original, the Shinobi series was once one of Sega’s big staples alongside platformers like Alex Kidd and Sonic the Hedgehog. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025

After falling for Manic Pixie Dream Girl Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), musician Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) has to defeat all seven of her evil exes through arcade-style fight sequences. —Charlotte Walsh, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Italian arcata, from arco arch, from Latin arcus

First Known Use

1685, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing arcade

• amusement arcade
• arcade game
• penny arcade
• video arcade

Rhymes for arcade

• afraid
• allayed
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• blockade
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted
• cascade

Kids Definition

arcade

noun

ar·​cade är-ˈkād 

1

: a row of arches with the columns that support them

2

: an arched or covered passageway (as between shops)

3

: a place with many games to be played by putting coins or tokens in them

Medical Definition

arcade

noun

ar·​cade är-ˈkād 

1

: an anatomical structure comprising a series of arches

2

: dental arch