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

Teneo observed security operations firsthand during the 2025 Super Bowl and Mardi Gras 2025 and used those events to evaluate real-time vulnerabilities. —Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025

The biggest names will perform at the Festival Stage, while other stages will welcome other genres; local Mardi Gras Indians and brass bands perform on the Jazz & Heritage Stage, while the Congo Square Stage features Afrocentric and world music. —Rachel Desantis, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025

The Excel Class currently includes Carnival Mardi Gras, Celebration and Jubilee, which can each accommodate more than 5,200 guests at double occupancy. —Nathan Diller, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025

The rich environments are full of detail and character, from smalltown swamps to twisted Mardi Gras celebrations. —PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, fat Tuesday

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for Mardi Gras

• candlemas
• fiberglass
• fibreglass
• hourglass
• isinglass
• lemongrass
• martinmas
• orchardgrass
• overpass
• plexiglas
• plexiglass
• sassafras

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.