pag ‧ eant /ˈpædʒ ə nt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Medieval Latin ; Origin: pagina 'scene of a play' , from Latin , 'page' ; ⇨ ↑ page 1 ]
1 . an organized public show, often performed outdoors, where people dress in decorated or unusual clothes:
a colourful pageant of Scotland’s past
2 . American English a public competition for young women in which their appearance, and sometimes other qualities, are compared and judged SYN beauty contest
3 . the pageant of something literary a series of historical events that are interesting and important:
the pageant of African history