arcade

American  

[ahr-keyd] / ɑrˈkeɪd /

noun

• arcades
  plural

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

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• arcades
  plural

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

See Examples For:

arcade arcades arcaded arcading

We went to this arcade bar called Neon Retro.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Gilligan, a judge on popular ITV series The Masked Singer, recalled spending days on the beach and riding the log flume at the fun park as well playing the penny arcade machines.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

The company, he said, will open a "cultural, artistic, fashion, art, retail food experience" in Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the ornate 19th century shopping arcade where the first Prada boutique opened in 1913.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

An arcade, arts-and-crafts studio or children’s museum is a natural location for a kid’s birthday party.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The mall had a food court, an arcade for Zach.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Far from the solemn pomp of the Vatican, nestled under the arcades of the mountain town of Santarcangelo di Romagna, a tailor clad all in black leaned over his sketch.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Plus, claw arcades bring life back to malls and the FTC says dynamic pricing requires disclosure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Reductions to tax relief for vape shops and gambling arcades will help to pay for the £100 million a year cost of the measure.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

For more than a century it has entertained generations of families with its mixture of classic rides and nostalgic arcades.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2025

The garden arcades and grounds are abuzz with movement as the palace prepares for the royal birthday party.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Scenes of piazzas, arcaded streets and markets float through this podcast with Kathy McCabe, the host of the PBS “Dream of Italy” series.

From New York Times ● Apr. 9, 2020

There she attended the Secondary School of Design and Photography, housed in an arcaded Renaissance monastery.

From New York Times ● Jul. 18, 2016

The chapel was very small with a domed, red-tiled roof and round arcaded windows.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2014

There are two streets which are arcaded, where activities are limited, eg preventing the playing of radios or busking.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 17, 2012

Across the rear a low arcaded screen of masonry, with an entrance to the right, separates the court from the garden.

From Yolanda of Cyprus by Cale Young Rice

The arcading in the remaining bay is similar, but angels' heads with wings take up the whole spandrel.

From Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lichfield A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal See by A. B. Clifton

The second is covered with two storeys of arcading, and is divided into two parts by the large west window, above which is the pediment.

From Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lichfield A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal See by A. B. Clifton

The very simple rose-window, between two lines of superimposed arcading, is protected, in the Champagne style, by a relieving-arch.

From Rheims and the Battles for its Possession Illustrated Michelin Guides to the Battle-Fields (1914-1918) by Various

In the first three western bays in both aisles the large arcading, with its plain trefoiled arches, is clearly Early English.

From Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lichfield A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal See by A. B. Clifton

Without further speech they turned into it, and rode on beneath the shadow of trees, whose branches, arcading over, hindered sight of the sun.

From No Quarter! by Mayne Reid

Related Words

• gallery
• mall
• walkway