Mardi Gras

noun

Mar·​di Gras ˈmär-dē-ˌgrä 

 in New Orleans commonly  -ˌgrȯ

1

a

: Shrove Tuesday often observed (as in New Orleans) with parades and festivities

b

: a carnival period climaxing on Shrove Tuesday

2

: a festive occasion resembling a pre-Lenten Mardi Gras

Examples of Mardi Gras in a Sentence

We're going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.

It was a Mardi Gras to remember!

Recent Examples on the Web

Their interest is fuel not only for Amtrak’s Mardi Gras route, but also for a bevy of trains and train museums across the region. —Matt Alderton, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025

The Department of Homeland Security, irrespective of any ICE operations, is always involved in major events, from Super Bowls to air shows to Mardi Gras and major marathons, providing intelligence and terrorist threat assessments. —Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025

At the time of the escape, Groves was awaiting sentencing for a double murder conviction stemming from a 2018 Mardi Gras shooting. —Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025

At the time of his escape, Groves was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder following a 2024 conviction for opening fire at a Mardi Gras block party that killed two people and wounded several others. —Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, fat Tuesday

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for Mardi Gras

• candlemas
• fiberglass
• fibreglass
• hourglass
• isinglass
• lemongrass
• martinmas
• orchardgrass
• overpass
• plexiglas
• plexiglass
• sassafras

Kids Definition

Mardi Gras

noun

Mar·​di Gras ˈmärd-ē-ˌgrä 

: the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday often observed with parades and merrymaking

Etymology

French, literally "fat Tuesday"

Word Origin

The Christian period of fasting known as Lent begins every year on Ash Wednesday. The day before Lent begins is a time of celebration and feasting in many places. One of the original reasons for such feasting was probably to use up the last supplies of foods, such as meat and fat, which were not eaten during Lent. The eating of such foods may be why the day became known in France as Mardi Gras, which means "fat Tuesday." It is also possible that the name comes from a former custom of parading a fattened ox through Paris on this day.