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
On Mardi Gras morning, Whitaker and the 60 Minutes team met Elenora Brown, better known as Big Queen Rukiya, who masks with the Golden Eagles tribe.
—
Will Croxton, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Its reinvention included elaborate costumes similar to those worn at Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in Brazil.
—Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Mar. 2026
For many years, the Rushes had an annual tradition of eating at Wintzell's Oyster House before riding in the local Mardi Gras parade.
—Sydney Page The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Five bears were stationed in the river, waiting like revelers at a Mardi Gras parade, eager for a string of beads.
—Kim Cross, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for Mardi Gras
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Will Croxton, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Its reinvention included elaborate costumes similar to those worn at Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in Brazil.
—Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Mar. 2026
For many years, the Rushes had an annual tradition of eating at Wintzell's Oyster House before riding in the local Mardi Gras parade.
—Sydney Page The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Five bears were stationed in the river, waiting like revelers at a Mardi Gras parade, eager for a string of beads.
—Kim Cross, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
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 6 Apr. 2026.
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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