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

The fifth annual City of Trees Parade brought a Mardi Gras feel to Sacramento on Saturday night. —Sacbee.com, 1 Mar. 2026

Vargas added that the parade gave him a glimpse of what the real Mardi Gras experience might be like. —Conor McGill, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026

Earlier this week, LaBeouf was ordered to take a drug test and return to rehab after he was arrested for striking two people in a fight outside a New Orleans bar during Mardi Gras weekend. —Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026

Shia LaBeouf is sharing his side of the story after being arrested on two counts of simple battery earlier this month during Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans. —Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 28 Feb. 2026

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.