/ pəˈreɪd; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
PUBLIC CELEBRATION
1.
[ C ] a public celebration of a special day or event, usually with bands in the streets and decorated vehicles
SYN procession :
the Lord Mayor's parade
St Patrick's Day parade in New York
OF SOLDIERS
2.
[ C , U ] a formal occasion when soldiers march or stand in lines so that they can be examined by their officers or other important people :
a military parade
They stood as straight as soldiers on parade .
( figurative )
The latest software will be on parade at the exhibition.
—see also identification parade
SERIES
3.
[ C ] a series of things or people :
Each generation passes through a similar parade of events.
WEALTH / KNOWLEDGE
4.
[ C , usually sing. ] parade of wealth, knowledge, etc. (often disapproving ) an obvious display of sth, particularly in order to impress other people
ROW OF SHOPS
5.
[ C ] ( especially BrE ) (often in names) a street with a row of small shops :
a shopping parade
•
IDIOMS
see rain verb
■ verb
WALK TO CELEBRATE / PROTEST
1.
[ v , usually + adv. / prep. ] to walk somewhere in a formal group of people, in order to celebrate or protest about sth :
The victorious team will parade through the city tomorrow morning.
SHOW IN PUBLIC
2.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] to walk around in a way that makes other people notice you :
People were parading up and down showing off their finest clothes.
3.
[ vn + adv. / prep. ] to show sb/sth in public so that people can see them / it :
The trophy was paraded around the stadium.
The prisoners were paraded in front of the crowd.
( figurative )
He is not one to parade his achievements.
OF SOLDIERS
4.
[+ adv. / prep. ] to come together, or to bring soldiers together, in order to march in front of other people :
[ v ]
The crowds applauded as the guards paraded past.
[ vn ]
The colonel paraded his men before the Queen.
PRETEND
5.
parade (sb/sth) as sth to pretend to be, or to make sb/sth seem to be, good or important when they are not :
[ v ]
myth parading as fact
[ vn ]
He paraded himself as a loyal supporter of the party.
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent.: from French , literally a showing , from Spanish parada and Italian parata , based on Latin parare prepare, furnish.