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

In fact, I’m the Aunt Crabby who didn’t think we should even be holding our citywide Super Bowl street party on Ash Wednesday, when everyone knows that Fat Tuesday is the right day for revelry.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 20, 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

You get up freakishly early on Fat Tuesday because you're going to be home by like two or three in the afternoon.

From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2023

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