pageant

English

Alternative forms

• pageaunt (obsolete)

Etymology

Late 14th c., from Medieval Latin pagina (“play in a cycle of mystery plays”), perhaps from Latin pāgina (“page of a book”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpædʒənt/

• Audio (UK)

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Noun

pageant (plural pageants)

1. An elaborate public display, especially a parade in historical or traditional costume.

   Synonym: spectacle

   • 1826, Mary Shelley, The Last Man, volume 3, chapter 4

     For a few moments the events of the day floated in disastrous pageant through my brain, till sleep bathed it in forgetfulness […]

2. A spectacular ceremony.
3. Ellipsis of beauty pageant.

   Synonyms: beauty contest, beauty pageant

4. (obsolete) A wheeled platform for the exhibition of plays, etc.

Derived terms

• pageanter
• pageantry
• beauty pageant

Translations

public display

• Bulgarian: парад (bg) m (parad)
• Dutch: optocht (nl) m
• French: cortège (fr) m
• German: Festzug m
• Italian: parata (it) f, mostra (it) f, esposizione (it) f, esibizione (it) f, spettacolo pubblico m
• Japanese: 野外劇 (やがいげき, yagaigeki)

• Romanian: procesiune (ro) f, cortegiu (ro) n
• Russian: зре́лище (ru) (zrélišče)
• Spanish: muestra (es) f, cabalgata (es) f, comparsa f

spectacular ceremony

• Bulgarian: шествие (bg) n (šestvie)
• Czech: podívaná f
• French: spectacle (fr) m
• Italian: cerimonia (it) f

• Romanian: paradă (ro) f
• Russian: предста́вление (ru) (predstávlenije)
• Spanish: espectáculo (es) m, exhibición (es) f, ceremonia (es) f

beauty pageant — see beauty pageant

Verb

pageant (third-person singular simple present pageants, present participle pageanting, simple past and past participle pageanted)

1. To exhibit in show; to represent; to mimic.
   • c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene iii]:

     He pageants us.

Anagrams

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