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

Its skeletal steel dome, erected on the spot where an Easter egg roll was held in the days of the republic, rises as high as the topmost arcade of the Colosseum, towering over the White House. —Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026

Tearful supporters at a California Working Families Party shindig at the Mission Control bar and arcade in downtown Santa Ana hugged Lopez, gifted her flowers and wished her well. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Queen Park Social, a restaurant, bar, and gaming center, is another fun place to play—albeit with less adventurous activities (think old-school string bowling, shuffleboard, Jenga, and arcade-style games). —Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026

Sprouting from its Inlet Parking Lot, the historic Boardwalk features a lively mix of colorful shops, enticing restaurants, arcades and more. —Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026

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