arcade

noun ar·cade \ är-ˈkād \

Definition of arcade

1 :a long arched building or gallery

2 :an arched covered passageway or avenue (as between shops)

3 :a series of arches with their columns or piers

4 :an amusement center having coin-operated games

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See arcade defined for kids

Recent Examples of arcade from the Web

The canteen was a big, open rec room with old arcade games and bad fluorescent lighting.

— krista stevens, Longreads, "Square Dancing At Nudist Summer Camp: Do-Si-D’Oh My!," 25 July 2017
The trailer begins with Will Byers and friends doing what kids their age did in the 80s: playing video games in an arcade.

— peter wade, Esquire, "The Stranger Things Season 2 Trailer is a Thriller," 23 July 2017
Laser tag, go karts, mini golf, arcade games. $6 per game.

— The Courier-Journal, "45+ fun things to do in Louisville July 20-26," 19 July 2017
Laser tag, go karts, mini golf, arcade games. $6 per game.

— The Courier-Journal, "45+ fun things to do in Louisville July 20-26," 19 July 2017
There were so few customers in the overrun, chaotic arcade that one merchant aggressively tracked us through the honeycomb of the bazaar, determined to secure our business.

— richard kaye, Town & Country, "What It's Like to Be a Tourist During a Coup," 14 July 2017
Laser tag, go karts, mini golf, arcade games. $6 per game.

— The Courier-Journal, "50+ fun things for week of July 6-12," 5 July 2017
Sikkema said Anna had thought golf was only a game played in the arcade.

— frank vaisvilas, Daily Southtown, "Event ahead of LPGA tourney offers girls a stroke of confidence," 5 July 2017
The whirring and dinging pinball machines that once dominated arcades lived, for a while, shrouded in nostalgia in your grandparents' basement.

— ally marotti, chicagotribune.com, "Barcades, baby boomers keep pinball machines rolling off assembly line," 4 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arcade.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of arcade

French, from Italian arcata, from arco arch, from Latin arcus

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First Known Use: 1685

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Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

ARCADE Defined for English Language Learners

arcade

noun

Definition of arcade for English Language Learners

: a row of arches that are supported by columns
: an arched or covered passageway with many shops; also : a building that includes many shops
: a place with many games that can be played by putting coins in them

ARCADE Defined for Kids

arcade

noun ar·cade \ är-ˈkād \

Definition of arcade for Students

1 :a row of arches supported by columns

2 :an arched or covered passageway between two rows of shops

3 :a place with electronic games that are operated by coins or tokens

Medical Dictionary

arcade

noun ar·cade \ är-ˈkād \

medical Definition of arcade

1 :an anatomical structure comprising a series of arches

2 :dental arch

Learn More about arcade

See words that rhyme with arcade Spanish Central: Translation of arcade Nglish: Translation of arcade for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of arcade for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about arcade

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arcade

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ARCADE Defined for English Language Learners

arcade

Definition of arcade for English Language Learners

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arcade

Definition of arcade for Students

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arcade

medical Definition of arcade

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arcade

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Definition of arcade for English Language Learners

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