Arcade

How to spell arcade

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce arcade

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does arcade mean?

1. nounA covered walkway or passage, often lined with shops, or a series of arches supporting a roof.
2. nounA venue filled with coin-operated or video games for public entertainment.

Arcade in a sentence

• The old shopping arcade near the station was being renovated.

• The children spent their pocket money at the seaside arcade.

• Rain forced the tourists to shelter under the stone arcade.

• A new arcade packed with classic video games opened downtown.

Where does arcade come from?

Language of origin: French

This word traces back to the Latin arcus, which meant a bow, an arch, or anything curved. From arcus, Italian formed arcata, describing a span or sweep of an arch, and that idea passed into French as arcade. English adopted arcade in the early 1700s, originally for a series of arches supported on columns or piers, the kind of vaulted walkway found in grand buildings and cloisters. From there the sense broadened to a covered passage lined with shops, since such passages were often built under arched roofs. The same arcus root sits behind the familiar words 'arch' and 'arc', and remembering that the structure was named for its curved arches is a useful way to keep the spelling steady. In the twentieth century the word picked up a newer meaning, the amusement arcade full of coin-operated games, which is now the most common everyday use.

How the word is built

• arc (from Latin arcus: bow, arch)
• -ade (noun suffix denoting a structure or series)