arcade

American  

[ahr-keyd] / ɑrˈkeɪd /

noun

1. Architecture.

   1. a series of arches supported on piers or columns.

   2. an arched, roofed-in gallery.

2. an arched or covered passageway, usually with shops on each side.

3. an establishment, public area, etc., containing games of a mechanical and electronic type, as pinball and video games, that can be played by a customer for a fee.

4. an ornamental carving, as on a piece of furniture, in the form of a row of arches.

---

verb (used with object)

arcaded, arcading

1. to provide with an arcade.

arcade British  

/ ɑːˈkeɪd /

noun

1. a set of arches and their supporting columns

2. a covered and sometimes arched passageway, usually with shops on one or both sides

3. a building, or part of a building, with an arched roof

---

Etymology

Origin of arcade

First recorded in 1725–35; from French, from Italian arcata “arch,” equivalent to arc(o) “arch” + -ata; see arc -ate ¹

Explanation

An arcade is a structure made by enclosing a series of arches and columns. The word's roots go back to the Latin word "arcus," which means arc or bow. An arched, covered passageway with shops or stalls on the sides is also called an arcade and was a precursor to the shopping mall. The Burlington Arcade in London opened in 1819 and was the first shopping arcade of its kind in Britain. It still exists and is the longest covered shopping street in England. As more of these shopping arcades opened, they also began offering games and eventually the word's meaning came to include video arcades, where you can play coin-operated games.

Example Sentences

The 77-year-old wanted his plaque recording the fact placed in Spillers Records, in Cardiff's Morgan Arcade.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

I saw a demo of apparel design in an app called Pixelmator Pro, and a live 3-D game from Apple Arcade, and it did fine there too.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

The 24-year-old from Yeovil regularly tunes into the feed from Morgan's Arcade Bar in Carlisle - despite never having been there or anywhere near.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

Arcade operators have taken this enthusiasm to heart, tailoring their prize selections to the demographics of their neighbourhood and organising events around certain characters.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

Across the square the white wicker tables and chairs of the Iruña extended out beyond the Arcade to the edge of the street.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

Related Words

• gallery
• mall
• walkway