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 ski-in, ski-out lodge is ideal for families; after a day on the slopes, parents can warm up in a whirlpool spa while kids head to the game room for foosball, air hockey, and arcade basketball. —Jonny Bierman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026

Explore the waterways on kayaks and paddle boards, and let the kiddos play at the arcade and the new mini-golf course. —Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026

The renovation leverages Gill’s signature arcades to connect OMA’s central pavilion and terrace with surrounding outdoor spaces enhanced with sculpture, public art, gardens, public gathering spaces and landscape. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026

Soldiers of the Army National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division have won an award for inventing a drone that uses a mechanism similar to an arcade claw machine to retrieve downed drones. —Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 23 Feb. 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