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

The day after Mardi Gras, a Christian holiday, is Ash Wednesday, which starts Lent, a 40-day period of prayer and fasting before Easter Sunday. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026

The Orpheus parade always rolls on the Monday immediately before Mardi Gras Day and culminates with the epic black-tie Orpheuscapade (more on that later). —Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 1 Feb. 2026

Owner Robert Earl closes the dinner show in early 1986 and then opens both King Henry’s Feast and Mardi Gras, a jazzy cabaret, on I-Drive. —Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026

Multiple people were injured Saturday after a shooting broke out during the Mardi Gras in the Country parade in Clinton, Louisiana, according to local media reports. —Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 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.