penny arcade

noun

: an amusement center having coin-operated devices for entertainment

Examples of penny arcade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The carnival had a Ferris wheel, and a penny arcade, and sold candy apples and cotton candy. Fannie Flagg, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2025 The new policewoman’s main duties included supervising and enforcing laws relating to dance halls, skating rinks, penny arcades, movie theaters and other places of public recreation. Peter Zablocki, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025 In 1902 or 1903, Mensing transformed the second floor of his penny arcade into a movie theater. Michael Wells, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2025 Other penny arcades and mutoscope parlors followed Mensing’s model, often making improvements. Michael Wells, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2025 Soon the brothers were running two theaters, the Cascade and the Bijou, which sat on opposite sides of a penny arcade, just a short trolley ride from the Warner home. Chris Yogerst, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2023 Bay Area residents woke up on May 23, 2020, to see a Pier 45 warehouse fire on social media feeds, that came 30 feet from incinerating a collection that includes Playland-at-the-Beach legend Laffing Sal and mechanical penny arcade games from the early 20th Century. Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 May 2021 The Pads couldn’t buy a hit with runners in scoring position at a penny arcade. Nick Canepacolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2022 Balboa always seemed a fairyland — and the penny arcade was the icing on the cake. Justin Ray Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of penny arcade was in 1903

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Penny arcade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penny%20arcade. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

penny arcade

noun
: an amusement center where each device for entertainment may be operated for a small sum
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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