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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, marks the party’s climax and the celebration will be citywide, with costumed revelers jamming the Quarter and parades proceeding from Uptown to downtown with other events in the suburbs.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 9, 2024

Upon this evening of "Fat Tuesday," indeed, both Rex and Comus hold forth.

From The Mardi Gras Mystery by Bedford-Jones, H. (Henry)

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