a procession of persons riding on horses, in horsedrawn carriages, in cars, etc.
2.
any procession.
3.
any noteworthy series, as of events or activities.
Origin: 1585–95; < Middle French < early Italiancavalcata horseback raid, equivalent to cavalc(are) to ride on horseback (< Late Latincaballicāre, equivalent to caball(us) horse (see cavalier) + -icā- v. suffix + -re infinitive ending) + -ata-ade1
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
1591, via M.Fr., from It. cavalcata, from cavalcare "to ride on horseback," from V.L. *caballicare, from L. caballus (see cavalier). Literally, "a procession on horseback," in 20c. -cade came to be regarded as a suffix and taken to form motorcade (1913), etc.