▪ I. cavalcade, n.
(kævəlˈkeɪd)
Also 6 cavalgada, 7 cavalcado, cavalcata, cavelcade, (8 erron. calvacade).
[a. F. cavalcade (16th c. in Littré), ad. Pr. cavalcada or It. cavalcata (= Sp. cabalgada, Pg. cavalgata), f. cavalcar:—late L. caballicāre to ride on horseback, f. caballus horse: see -ade. The native F. form of the word was chevauchée, whence also ME. chevachee.]
† 1. A ride, a march or raid on horseback. Obs.
| 1591 Sir H. Unton Corr. (1847) 257, I am nowe attendinge uppon the Kinge in this cavalcade he maketh towards the Duke of Parma. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres v. i. 141 To make Caualgadas, or great marches, for any sudden surprisall. 1604 Jas. I Counterbl. (Arb.) 110 To make some sudden Caualcado vpon your enemies. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. vii. II. 215 He had with some Troops, made a Cavalcade or two into the West. |
| fig. 1697 Snake in Grass (ed. 2) 289 Being thrown into Gaol for that his Blasphemous Cavelcade. |
2. A procession on horseback, esp. on a festive or solemn occasion. Also loosely used for a procession of carriages. arch. or ? Obs.
| 1644 Evelyn Mem. (1857) I. 102 Desirous of being present at the cavalcade of the new Pope. 1683 Brit. Spec. 260 His Majesty..made a Glorious and Splendid Cavalcade from the Tower to Westminster. 1687 Lond. Gaz. No. 2250/3 Cardinal Medici made a Cavalcata..wherein he was Accompanied by 14 of the Sacred Colledge on Mules. 1762–71 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) III. 97 The king's cavalcade through the gates of the city the day before his coronation. |
3. concr. A company of riders on the march or in procession.
| a 1700 Dryden Pal. & Arc. iii. 540 The following cavalcade..Proceed by titles marshal'd in degree. 1703–14 Sc. Pasquils (1868) 347 He and his noble Cavalcade design To right their native Country. 1786 tr. Beckford's Vathek (1868) 25 The cavalcade set forward. 1852 C. M. Yonge Cameos (1871) II. xix. 206 From Chester the Cavalcade set out for London. 1869 Hook Lives Abps. II. ii. 93 He evidently expected to meet a large cavalcade. |
4. transf. and fig. ‘Procession’.
| 1670 Caveat Conventiclers 9, I desired him to raise this Devil before me; which he courteously did, together with the whole procession of the Cavalcade. 1708 Motteux Rabelais iv. xiii, He made a Cavalcade of his Devils..through the Town. 1855 J. Forbes Tour Mont Blanc 117 The cows were taken to the valley..and I regretted extremely that I missed the opportunity of witnessing so singular a cavalcade. 1932 N. Coward (title) Cavalcade. 1937 Daily Herald 28 Jan. 15/3 Here is a veritable cavalcade of eighteenth and nineteenth century agricultural history. 1941 N. Coward Australia Visited iv. 25, I was fortunate to be able to administer a little artificial respiration to the word:—‘Cavalcade’. Before I wrote the play of that name the word had fallen into disuse... Now..there are..Cavalcades of fashion, Hollywood Cavalcades,..Cavalcades of practically anything that can be cavalcaded. |
▪ II. cavalˈcade, v.
[f. prec. n.; in F. cavalcader.]
intr. To ride in a cavalcade, esp. in procession or in company with others. Hence cavalˈcading vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1710 Map of Trav. High Ch. Apostle 6 His mighty great Cavalcading. 1771 P. Parsons Newmarket I. 113 The hero..cavalcaded it through a large breach made in the walls, in an open chariot. 1816 Keatinge Trav. II. 1 A large party of horse men was cavalcading..in celebration of a wedding. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. I. i. iii. vi. 71 Tumult of charioteering and cavalcading. 1849 Fraser's Mag. 175 The host..homeward with his nobles cavalcaded. |