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

Guests enjoy stand-up paddleboard yoga, hikes, a 62-foot luxury dinner yacht, and kids' programs (including Fun Mountain with an arcade, bowling, ropes course, climbing area, and more). —Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 9 May 2026

Also in that general vicinity stood DisneyQuest, an interactive arcade of sorts, but that building was demolished after the attraction’s closure in 2017. —Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026

For the three-day event, A24 had transformed a space on Canal Street into a vintage Japanese video game arcade. —Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026

The Baby Club will be developed in partnership with baby gear brand Chicco while the Junior and Teens Clubs will have state-of-the-art gaming experiences, like a full arcade and MSC Formula Racer simulator. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 4 May 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