Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

Mardi Gras

noun Mar·di Gras \ ˈmär-dē-ˌgrä , in New Orleans commonly -ˌgrȯ \

Definition of Mardi Gras

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

See Mardi Gras defined for English-language learners

See Mardi Gras defined for kids

People Are Reading

mardi-gras
How 'Mardi Gras' Got Its Name
alt-59ea52ed7b96f
Learned Fools: On Names for Students
one-green-toy-robot-amidst-many-red-toy-robots
The Exceptions Quiz III
alt-59e8af1b31525
Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

Examples of mardi gras in a Sentence

  1. We're going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.

  2. It was a Mardi Gras to remember!

Origin and Etymology of mardi gras

French, literally, fat Tuesday

Other Calendar Terms

antedate, estival, gloaming, luster, sesquicentennial

MARDI GRAS Defined for English Language Learners

Mardi Gras

noun

Definition of Mardi Gras for English Language Learners

  • : the Tuesday before the beginning of Lent that is often celebrated with parades and parties

Learn More about mardi gras

  1. See words that rhyme with Mardi Gras Spanish Central: Translation of Mardi Gras Nglish: Translation of Mardi Gras for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Mardi Gras

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up Mardi Gras? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

burke

play

to suppress quietly or indirectly

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. imbroglio "a public scandal"

  2. spurious of a deceitful nature or quality

  3. righteous We provide an assortment of definitions

  4. Kafkaesque 'A nightmarish quality'

  5. mike "microphone"

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

The Exceptions Quiz III

  • one-green-toy-robot-amidst-many-red-toy-robots
  • Which of these words does not mean "nonsense"?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-59ea52ed7b96f
Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Where did we get 'freshman' and 'sophomore'?

alt-59e900afadac6
The Synonyms 'Discover' and 'Invent'

In the past, you could invent fruit.

alt-59e8c3440f453
I'll Have the Us(ual)

Shortening 'usual': easy to say, hard to spell

alt-59e77dc36c593
The Origins of 'Lobbyist'

From the front hallways to the back rooms

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

one-green-toy-robot-amidst-many-red-toy-robots
The Exceptions Quiz III

Which of these things doesn't belong?

Take the quiz
knupfer-painting-solon-before-croesus
Forms of Government Quiz

Name that government! Or something like that.

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game
Examples: Mardi Gras in a Sentence