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

This working warehouse is where Kern Studios produces its mammoth floats for Mardi Gras and other major events like the Super Bowl. —Npr Staff, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025

Courtesy of the Atlanta Police Department A jury last year convicted Groves of two counts of second-degree murder for killing Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson in a shooting at a Mardi Gras party in 2018. —CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025

Other collections have shared the stories of Black biker culture and the traditions of Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 12 Dec. 2025

Its windows were trimmed with Mardi Gras beads and gold, purple and green ornaments. —Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Dec. 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.