Mardi Gras

noun

Mar·​di Gras ˈmär-dē-ˌgrä 

 in New Orleans commonly  -ˌgrȯ

1

a

: Shrove Tuesday often observed (as in New Orleans) with parades and festivities

b

: a carnival period climaxing on Shrove Tuesday

2

: a festive occasion resembling a pre-Lenten Mardi Gras

Examples of Mardi Gras in a Sentence

We're going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.

It was a Mardi Gras to remember!

Recent Examples on the Web

Open year-round, the holiday and home decoration store caters to every season and celebration from Valentine's Day to Christmas and everything in between – St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mardi Gras, Spring, Summer, 4th of July, and Halloween. —Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 17 Dec. 2024

Organizers say it is used by approximately 1,000 people a day, and up to 4,000 during major festivals like Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. —Micheline Maynard, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024

The event will go down at Mardi Gras World, a 300,000-square foot facility and local institution where some of the floats for the city’s annual Mardi Gras parades have been made for the last 80 years. —Katie Bain, Billboard, 16 Dec. 2024

On film, Gary largely played supporting roles throughout the 1950s and early ‘60s and appeared alongside the likes of Pat Boone and Frankie Vaughan in films including Mardi Gras and The Right Approach. —Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, fat Tuesday

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

Mardi Gras

noun

Mar·​di Gras ˈmärd-ē-ˌgrä 

: the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday often observed with parades and merrymaking

Etymology

French, literally "fat Tuesday"

Word Origin

The Christian period of fasting known as Lent begins every year on Ash Wednesday. The day before Lent begins is a time of celebration and feasting in many places. One of the original reasons for such feasting was probably to use up the last supplies of foods, such as meat and fat, which were not eaten during Lent. The eating of such foods may be why the day became known in France as Mardi Gras, which means "fat Tuesday." It is also possible that the name comes from a former custom of parading a fattened ox through Paris on this day.