Fat Tuesday

American

[fat tooz-dey, -dee, tyooz-] / ˈfæt ˈtuz deɪ, -di, ˈtjuz- /

noun

Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent: probably named for the practice of consuming rich foods such as butter and eggs in order to use them up before the fast of Lent.

Etymology

Origin of Fat Tuesday

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

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Fat Tuesday

Mardi Gras, which translates as Fat Tuesday, features floats, marching bands and dance crews across several days of free parades.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026

This colorful, wreath-shaped cake is featured from January 6th until Fat Tuesday in the finest bakeries and the lowliest of supermarkets and just about everywhere in between.

From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2024

The drive-through is usually open on Fridays through Sundays, but customers have asked if the couple would be selling cakes on Fat Tuesday.

From New York Times ● Feb. 12, 2024

So this Fat Tuesday, let’s embrace the Southern spirit with food for the soul.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 6, 2024

All the Sundays, departing from the first January, up till Fat Tuesday.

From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science Volume 15, No. 90, June, 1875 by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023