cavalcade

noun cav·al·cade \ ˌka-vəl-ˈkād , ˈka-vəl-ˌ \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Examples: cavalcade in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The History of cavalcade

Definition of cavalcade

1 a : a procession (see ¹procession 1) of riders or carriages

b : a procession of vehicles or ships

2 : a dramatic sequence or procession : series

a cavalcade of natural disasters

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Examples of cavalcade in a Sentence

The cavalcade arrived at the hotel.
a cavalcade of antique cars
a cavalcade of natural disasters

Recent Examples of cavalcade from the Web

However, while Karius was the man rightly in the headlines for the wrong reasons, something doesn't sit right about the cavalcade of social media abuse the German stopper has received since Saturday night.

— SI.com, "Bouncing Back: Making the Case for Loris Karius as Liverpool's Long-Term Number One," 7 June 2018
His Homeward Bound — Farewell Tour will be a career-spanning two-hour-plus cavalcade of hits.

— dan deluca, Philly.com, "Summer concerts: U2, Lauryn Hill, Taylor Swift and more come to Philly," 6 June 2018
This year the unclothed cavalcade will be led by beloved burlesque artist Trixie Minx, who plans to ride in a pedicab wearing a glittering golden bicycle helmet, emphasizing bicycle safety.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "New Orleans Naked Bike Ride 2018: the bare facts," 30 May 2018
With Overgard kept studiously free of any real character details, the movie can start to feel strangely monotonous, an endless cavalcade of catastrophe that at times stretches the limits of credibility.

— alissa wilkinson, Vox, "It’s Mads Mikkelsen versus the arctic wilderness in first-time director Joe Penna’s arthouse survival film.," 11 May 2018
While these stars stood out among the cavalcade of celebrities supporting the theme, the red carpet event was rife with crosses, rosary beads and other religious imagery designed to turn heads and be provocative on the red carpet.

— tyler mccarthy, Fox News, "Met Gala's 2018 Catholic Church theme stirs up controversy on social media," 7 May 2018
In the white corner stand Real Madrid with 12 European championship titles under their belt -including three of the last four- and a cavalcade of names and experience like no other team in the continent.

— juan pimiento, chicagotribune.com, "The Champions League final, Wenger's successor at Arsenal and the best of the week in soccer," 24 May 2018
As ocean meets sky in a dazzling cavalcade of waterborne and sky-going vessels, Finn has a last chance to say goodbye to his grandfather in this lovely book about grief and imagination.

— WSJ, "Children’s Books: Safe Journeys," 11 May 2018
Food trends currently lean toward fusion, gluten-free, ketogenic, vegan and a cavalcade of pretentious hipster contrivances.

— vincent crampton, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Explore Florida's Seminole County: Tradition plus Gemütlichkeit equal Hollerbach’s success," 6 May 2018

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

The History of cavalcade

When cavalcade was first used in English, it meant "a horseback ride" or "a march or raid made on horseback." Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, used it this way in his 1647 History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England: "He had with some Troops, made a Cavalcade or two into the West." From there came the "procession of riders" meaning and eventual applications to processions in a broader sense. Cavalcade came to English via French from the Old Italian noun cavalcata, which in turn came from an Old Italian verb, cavalcare, meaning "to go on horseback." Ultimately, these words came from the Latin word caballus, meaning "horse." The combining form –cade also appears in other words describing particular kinds of processions, such as motorcade or the less common aquacade.

Origin and Etymology of cavalcade

French, ride on horseback, from Old Italian cavalcata, from cavalcare to go on horseback, from Late Latin caballicare, from Latin caballus horse; akin to Greek kaballeion horse, Middle Irish capall workhorse

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1644

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year