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
Certain places are synonymous with their events: New Year’s Eve in New York, Mardi Gras in New Orleans (among other cities), The Masters in Augusta, Coachella in the Coachella Valley, and so on.
—
Eve Chen, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025
The two facilities take up a city block along St. Charles Avenue, the thoroughfare famous for its streetcars, Mardi Gras parades and Queen Anne mansions.
—T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 12 Apr. 2025
All cakes come with an insert-your-own plastic baby and Mardi Gras beads.
—Cynthia Drake, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for Mardi Gras
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Eve Chen, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025
The two facilities take up a city block along St. Charles Avenue, the thoroughfare famous for its streetcars, Mardi Gras parades and Queen Anne mansions.
—T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 12 Apr. 2025
All cakes come with an insert-your-own plastic baby and Mardi Gras beads.
—Cynthia Drake, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for Mardi Gras
Cite this Entry
“Mardi Gras.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mardi%20Gras. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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.
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