First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
pageant
noun pag·eant \ˈpa-jənt\
: a play or performance made of scenes from a historical event or a legend
Full Definition of PAGEANT
1
a : a mere show : pretense b : an ostentatious display
2
: show, exhibition; especially : an elaborate colorful exhibition or spectacle often with music that consists of a series of tableaux, of a loosely unified drama, or of a procession usually with floats
3
: pageantry 1
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Origin of PAGEANT
Middle English pagyn, padgeant, literally, scene of a play, from Anglo-French pagine, pagent, from Medieval Latin pagina, perhaps from Latin, page
Related to PAGEANT
- Synonyms
- cavalcade
Other Performing Arts Terms
PAGEANT Defined for Kids
pageant
noun pag·eant \ˈpa-jənt\
Definition of PAGEANT for Kids
1
: a grand and fancy public ceremony and display
2
: an entertainment made up of scenes based on history or legend <a Christmas pageant>
3
: a contest in which a group of women or girls are judged <a beauty pageant>
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