Mardi Gras

noun

Mar·​di Gras ˈmär-dē-ˌgrä 

in New Orleans commonly -ˌgrȯ

1

a

: Shrove Tuesday often observed (as in New Orleans) with parades and festivities

b

: a carnival period climaxing on Shrove Tuesday

2

: a festive occasion resembling a pre-Lenten Mardi Gras

Examples of Mardi Gras in a Sentence

We're going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.

It was a Mardi Gras to remember!

Recent Examples on the Web

And for families attending the World Cup together, Gulfstream Park Village offers family-friendly spaces including the Mardi Gras Village area and open-air plazas where children can stretch their legs while parents relax. —Taylor Haught, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026

Carnival Vista and Mardi Gras also stop at the brand’s newest private destination there during their year-round jaunts in the Caribbean out of Port Canaveral. —David Dickstein, Oc Register, 4 Mar. 2026

Applebee's debuted the Big Easy menu for Mardi Gras last year, embracing the flavors of New Orleans with Bourbon Street Chicken & Andouille Sausage Penne and Blackened Shrimp & Andouille Sausage Penne. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026

The troops, which had mainly clustered in the city's historic French Quarter, had been scheduled to depart in the aftermath of Mardi Gras. —Jack Brook, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, fat Tuesday

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for Mardi Gras

• candlemas
• fiberglass
• fibreglass
• hourglass
• isinglass
• lemongrass
• martinmas
• orchardgrass
• overpass
• plexiglas
• plexiglass
• sassafras

Kids Definition

Mardi Gras

noun

Mar·​di Gras ˈmärd-ē-ˌgrä 

: the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday often observed with parades and merrymaking

Etymology

French, literally "fat Tuesday"

Word Origin

The Christian period of fasting known as Lent begins every year on Ash Wednesday. The day before Lent begins is a time of celebration and feasting in many places. One of the original reasons for such feasting was probably to use up the last supplies of foods, such as meat and fat, which were not eaten during Lent. The eating of such foods may be why the day became known in France as Mardi Gras, which means "fat Tuesday." It is also possible that the name comes from a former custom of parading a fattened ox through Paris on this day.