Meanings
plural Shrove Tuesdays
- The day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
Observe when the Moon is new in February, the next Tuesday after is Shrove-tuesday: but if it change on Tuesday, then the next Tuesday following is Shrove-tuesday
1712, Erra Pater, A Prognostication for Ever, Made by Erra Pater, page 71 more example
The day appointed for this extraordinary hunting-party was Shrove Tuesday. The Protestants of Paisley, in whose neighbourhood this story may be said to have originated, cannot discern the difference betwixt Shrove Tuesday and any other Tuesday; but if a Roman Catholic Princess, even in our free times, should be invited to a hunting-match on Shrove Tuesday, she would be shocked at the profane invitation.
1779, David Dalyrymple, Annals of Scotland From the Accenssion of Robert I, page 283Synonyms: Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Pancake Day, Pancake Tuesday, Carnival
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old English*scrāf
- EnglishShrove Tuesday
The second element is Tuesday; the first element may be a reflex of Old English *scrāf “confession” (related to the modern verb shrive), from the medieval practice of priests hearing confessions on this day.
More words from Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic الثلاثاء البدين, ثلاثاء المرافع
- الثلاثاء البدينday before the beginning of Lent
- ثلاثاء المرافعday before the beginning of Lent
- يوم البان كيك هيday before the beginning of Lent
Catalan dimarts de carnaval
- dimarts de carnavalday before the beginning of Lent
Danish hvide tirsdag
- hvide tirsdagday before the beginning of Lent
Dutch vastenavond
- vastenavondday before the beginning of Lent
Estonian vastlapäev, vastlad
- vastlapäevday before the beginning of Lent
- vastladday before the beginning of Lent
Finnish laskiaistiistai, laskiainen
- laskiaistiistaiday before the beginning of Lent
- laskiainenday before the beginning of Lent
French mardi gras
- mardi grasday before the beginning of Lent
German Faschingsdienstag, Fastnachtsdienstag
- Faschingsdienstagday before the beginning of Lent
- Fastnachtsdienstagday before the beginning of Lent
Hungarian húshagyókedd
- húshagyókeddday before the beginning of Lent
Indonesian Selasa Gemuk
- Selasa Gemukday before the beginning of Lent
Irish Máirt Inide, Máirt na hInide
- Máirt Inideday before the beginning of Lent
- Máirt na hInideday before the beginning of Lent
Italian martedì grasso
- martedì grassoday before the beginning of Lent
Japanese パンケーキ・デイ
- パンケーキ・デイ (pankēki-dei)day before the beginning of Lent
Korean 팬케이크 데이
- 팬케이크 데이 (paenkeikeu dei)day before the beginning of Lent
Norwegian Bokmål fetetirsdag, feitetirsdag
- fetetirsdagday before the beginning of Lent
- feitetirsdagday before the beginning of Lent
- feittirsdagday before the beginning of Lent
- grautatirsdagday before the beginning of Lent
- hvitetirsdagday before the beginning of Lent
Persian سهشنبه اعتراف
- سهشنبه اعترافday before the beginning of Lent
Polish tłusty czwartek, ostatki
- tłusty czwartekday before the beginning of Lent
- ostatkiday before the beginning of Lent
Portuguese terça-feira gorda, terça-feira de carnaval
- terça-feira gordaday before the beginning of Lent
- terça-feira de carnavalday before the beginning of Lent
Romanian lăsatul secului de carne
- lăsatul secului de carneday before the beginning of Lent
Russian ма́сленица
- ма́сленица (máslenica)day before the beginning of Lent
Scottish Gaelic Dimàirt Inide, Dimàirt na h-Inide
- Dimàirt Inideday before the beginning of Lent
- Dimàirt na h-Inideday before the beginning of Lent
Slovak Fašiangy
- Fašiangyday before the beginning of Lent
Spanish martes de carnaval
- martes de carnavalday before the beginning of Lent
Swedish fettisdag
- fettisdagday before the beginning of Lent
Turkish Tövbe Salısı
- Tövbe Salısıday before the beginning of Lent
Ukrainian ма́сниця
- ма́сниця (másnycja)day before the beginning of Lent
Welsh Dydd Mawrth Ynyd
- Dydd Mawrth Ynydday before the beginning of Lent
Cite this entry
Shrove Tuesday. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shrove%20Tuesday
“Shrove Tuesday.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shrove%20Tuesday. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Shrove Tuesday,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shrove%20Tuesday.
Source: Shrove Tuesday on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.