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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster

Etymology and Figurative Meanings

From cavalcadeJun 22, 2026

Excerpt from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

cavalcadeJun 22, 2026 — starts at 0:00

It's the Wd of the dayay for june twenty second. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it at progressive. com Progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates, potential savings will vary not available in all states Today's word is Cavalcade, spelled C A V A L C A D E. Cavalcade is a noun It most often refers to a series of related things. Older meaning, still in use, is a procession of riders or carriages vehicles or ships in a procession can be referred to as a cavalcade too. Here's the word used in a sentence from the Hasselmere Herald The event opened with a cavalcade of musicians, dancers, and local children followed by a horse drawn carriage carrying the wateratercst King and quQeen who threw bags of freshly harvested water crestress into the crowd as they paraded up and down Broad Street Cavalcade is a word with deep equestrian roots. It comes via French and probably Italian, ultimately from the Latin word cabalus, meaning workhorse or gelding Spanish speakers may recognize the influence of cabalus in the word caballo, meaning horse. In the seventeenth century, Cavalcade was used specifically to refer to a procession of horseback riders or carriages especially as part of a special occasion whether joyous or funereal Over time, that meaning was extended to processions of other modes of travel, including ships, vehicles, or even paraders on foot or float as invoked by the late singer songwriter Elliot Smith in his song Rose Parade with the lyric A wink and a wave from the Cavalcade as a cavalcade of words before and since have done

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