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 can enjoy all the park has to offer and the three-story arcade is also a fun escape from the heat during the day. —Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026

Many K-pop fans were introduced to the genre through anime or through dance games at local arcades, before going online to discover more, Han told CNN. —Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026

Consider the early chapter on Shigeru Miyamoto, who got his first big break in 1980 when Nintendo ordered 3,000 arcade cabinets for its Space Invaders rip-off Radar Scope. —Alexander Kaplan, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026

The project focused on a semicircular piazza outside the arena, where Roman spectators crowded under two arcades comprised of marble columns stretching up to 50 meters (164 feet) high. —ABC News, 17 Mar. 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