[a. Fr. arcade ‘an arch or half a circle’ Cotgr., ? ad. It. arcata ‘an arch of a bridge, a bending’ Florio, med.L. arcāta an arch, f. L. arc-us, It. arc-o bow, arch: see -ADE.]
† 1. A vaulted place, open at one or both sides; an arched opening or recess in a wall. Obs.
[1644. Evelyn, Diary (in Italy), 8 Nov. In the arcado … stand 24 statues of great price.]
1762. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), I. 187. The application of loggias, arcades, terrasses and flights of steps, at different stages of a building.
1782. Warton, Hist. Kiddington, 6. On the opposite side is a small arcade or receptacle for holy water.
1823. Nicholson, Pract. Build., 580. Arcade, an aperture in a wall with an arched head; also, a range of apertures with arched heads. [See 3.]
2. ‘A continued arch’ (J.); a passage arched over; a walk formed by a succession of arches having a common axis, and supported on columns or shafts. Also applied to an avenue similarly arched over by trees or shrubs; and extended to any covered avenue, esp. one with rows of shops or stalls on one or both sides.
1731. Pope, Mor. Ess., II. 35. Shall call the winds thro’ long Arcades to roar.
1815. Wordsw., Wh. Doe, IV. 45. And shades Of trellis-work in long arcades.
1829. T. Allen, Antiq. Lond., IV. 302. A passage, with a range of shops on each side, called Burlington Arcade, which … is one of the most fashionable promenades.
1849. Ruskin, Sev. Lamps, ii. § 15. Pictured landscapes at the extremities of alleys and arcades.
1862. Thackeray, Four Georges, iii. 142. A garden, with trin lawns, green arcades and vistas of classic statues.
3. Arch. A series of arches on the same plane: ‘a series of arches, either open or closed with masonry, supported by columns or piers.’ Parker, Gloss. Arch. ‘In mediæval architecture, an ornamental dressing to a wall, consisting of colonnettes supporting moulded arches.’ Gwilt. (= F. arcature.)
1795–1807. J. Carter, Anc. Archit. Eng., I. 20. Arcade on the third story of the keep of Rochester castle…. In the third story the wall is cut through by four magnificent arches.
1823. [See 1].
1830. R. Stuart, Dict. Arch., Arcade, a series of apertures or recesses with arched ceilings or soffets. The use of this word is very vague and indefinite.
1849. Ruskin, Sev. Lamps, v. § 12. In the uppermost arcade … the arches, the same in number as those below, are narrower than any of the façade.
1861. Parker, Goth. Archit. (1874), I. iii. 67. The small Arcades … are frequently used as decorations of the walls.
