arcade

American  

[ahr-keyd] / ɑrˈkeɪd /

noun

1. Architecture.

   1. a series of arches supported on piers or columns.

   2. an arched, roofed-in gallery.

2. an arched or covered passageway, usually with shops on each side.

3. an establishment, public area, etc., containing games of a mechanical and electronic type, as pinball and video games, that can be played by a customer for a fee.

4. an ornamental carving, as on a piece of furniture, in the form of a row of arches.

---

verb (used with object)

arcaded, arcading

1. to provide with an arcade.

arcade British  

/ ɑːˈkeɪd /

noun

1. a set of arches and their supporting columns

2. a covered and sometimes arched passageway, usually with shops on one or both sides

3. a building, or part of a building, with an arched roof

---

Etymology

Origin of arcade

First recorded in 1725–35; from French, from Italian arcata “arch,” equivalent to arc(o) “arch” + -ata; arc -ate ¹

Example Sentences

It caused a commercial and cultural sensation that created demand for the at-home arcade experience Baer had just developed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

As school and work wrap up, crowds fill Tokyo's many bustling arcade halls -- not to battle it out in fighting games, but to snag plush toys from claw machines.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

Saadaoui successfully applied for a work visa and the couple moved to Clacton-on Sea, Essex, where he worked in the town's Haven Holiday Village and was employed in its shops, bakery and arcade.

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2025

Disney has previously shared that this latest storyline will allow for additional levels of interactivity in the ride, which is already something of a full-size, walk-in arcade game.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025

The white-paper announcements of the unloading of the bulls and the big schedules of special trains were still up on the pillars of the arcade.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

Related Words

• gallery
• mall
• walkway