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

The screen itself can register several touches at once and supports 8-bit color depth, which gives it a kind of a shimmering visual profile somewhat reminiscent of late 1980s and early 1990s arcade video games. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 28 Oct. 2026

In January, the brand opened its largest flagship to date in Shanghai, followed by a third Parisian store in the Galerie de Montpensier arcade that border the Palais-Royal garden. — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026

The results were adjusted for city population so smaller destinations could compete with arcades in major cities and tourist hubs. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 23 Oct. 2026

Paying for playtime directly like this evokes images of old arcades, where players would invest a quarter or two (in 20th century dollars) often for just a few minutes of gameplay. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 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