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ar·cade (är-kād)
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n.
1.
a. A series of arches supported by columns, piers, or pillars, either freestanding or attached to a wall to form a gallery.
b. A series of arches employed for decorative purposes.
2. A roofed passageway or lane, especially one with shops on one or both sides.
3.
a. A commercial establishment featuring an array of large mechanical or electronic games, such as pinball machines or video games, that charge players money before each game.
b. A section within another establishment, as at a bowling alley or movie theater, that features such games.
tr.v. ar·cad·ed, ar·cad·ing, ar·cades
To provide with or form into an arcade: closed off and arcaded the narrow street.
[French, from Italian arcata, from arco, arch, from Latin arcus.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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