Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A series of arches supported by columns, piers, or pillars, either freestanding or attached to a wall to form a gallery.
- n. A series of arches employed for decorative purposes.
- n. A roofed passageway or lane, especially one with shops on one or both sides.
- n. A commercial establishment featuring rows of coin-operated games.
- v. To provide with or form into an arcade: closed off and arcaded the narrow street.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Properly, a series of arches supported on piers or pillars. The arcade is used especially as a screen and as a support for a wall or roof, but in all architecture since the Roman it is also commonly used as an ornamental dressing to a wall. In this form it is known as a blind arcade or an arcature, and is also called
wall-arcade . - n. A simple arched opening in a wall.
- n. A vault or vaulted place.
- n. Specifically, in some cities, a long arched passageway; a covered avenue, especially one that is lined with shops.
- n. In anatomy and zoology, those portions of the cranium having an arch-like structure and running from the postero-external to the orbital region. The inferior temporal arcade corresponds to the zygoma of mammals and is largely or entirely formed by the squamosal and jugal. The superior arcade, lacking in most vertebrates, is formed by the postorbital.
A. S. Woodward, Vertebrate Palæontol., p. 144. See cuts underDiapsida andSynapsida .
Wiktionary
- n. A row of arches.
- n. A covered passage, usually with shops on both sides.
- n. Establishment running coin-operated games.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A series of arches with the columns or piers which support them, the spandrels above, and other necessary appurtenances; sometimes open, serving as an entrance or to give light; sometimes closed at the back (as in the cut) and forming a decorative feature.
- n. A long, arched building or gallery.
- n. An arched or covered passageway or avenue.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a covered passageway with shops and stalls on either side
- n. a structure composed of a series of arches supported by columns
Etymologies
- French, from Italian arcata, from arco, arch, from Latin arcus.
Examples
“The first covered shopping street to be built in Britain, the arcade is at Piccadilly in London's bustling West End shopping district.”
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Investor to Buy Burlington Arcade
“The fate of this world lies in the hands (literally) of a few unlikely heroes: They are the Original Video Game World Champions and the arcade is their battleground.”
“Octoberist prior to the Captain EO announcement, I've always thought that they can do a 3D Tron show at the same theater at Disneyland. otherwise, i really don't know where they can place a Tron ride unless it's in California Adventure. presto117 i've never seen the original, but tron legacy looks great and i think a theme park ride/refitting of the tomorrowland arcade is perfect.”
Disney’s Planning More Tron Sequels, TV Show, Theme Park Rides? | /Film
“Its like that game at the carnival or in arcade – you know the one where the head pops up and you hit it with a hammer.”
“The tomb of the nun survives although its original placement within the monastic church or cloister arcade is unknown.”
Sensual Encounters: Monastic Women and Spirituality in Medieval Germany
“The idea of the old school arcade is well extinct.”
“Penny arcade is more than just a marketing machine.”
EXTRALIFE – By Scott Johnson - Big stink over PA and PC Gamer
“It was the only real measure of success in arcade games.”
EXTRALIFE – By Scott Johnson - Death of the old school arcade system
“The arcade is full of itinerant merchants who carry their stock of precious stones – sometimes quite valuable – tied up in a dingy rag, disposing of them by methods of barter quite unique.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘arcade’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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Ar!
ar, Ar, argon, are, area, arf, arc, ark, aardwolf, aardvark, aardcucumber, yardarm and 252 more...

vanishedone WordNet leaves out 'arcade' in the sense of 'venue for playing coin-operated video games, pinball, etc.'—as in 'penny arcade' and 'amusement arcade'. Feb 1, 2008