The Collaborative International Dictionary
Parade \Pa*rade"\, n. [F., fr. Sp. parada a halt or stopping, an assembling for exercise, a place where troops are assembled to exercise, fr. parar to stop, to prepare. See Pare, v. t.]
The ground where a military display is held, or where troops are drilled. Also called parade ground.
(Mil.) An assembly and orderly arrangement or display of troops, in full equipments, for inspection or evolutions before some superior officer; a review of troops. Parades are general, regimental, or private (troop, battery, or company), according to the force assembled.
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Hence: Any imposing procession; the movement of any group of people marshaled in military order, especially a festive public procession, which may include a marching band, persons in varied costume, vehicles with elaborate displays, and other forms of entertainment, held in commemoration or celebration of an event or in honor of a person or persons; as, a parade of firemen; a Thanksgiving Day parade; a Memorial Day parade; a ticker-tape parade.
In state returned the grand parade.
--Swift. -
Hence: A pompous show; a formal or ostentatious display or exhibition.
Be rich, but of your wealth make no parade.
--Swift. -
Posture of defense; guard. [A Gallicism.]
When they are not in parade, and upon their guard.
--Locke. -
A public walk; a promenade.
Dress parade, Undress parade. See under Dress, and Undress.
Parade rest, a position of rest for soldiers, in which, however, they are required to be silent and motionless.
--Wilhelm.Syn: Ostentation; display; show.
Usage: Parade, Ostentation. Parade is a pompous exhibition of things for the purpose of display; ostentation now generally indicates a parade of virtues or other qualities for which one expects to be honored. ``It was not in the mere parade of royalty that the Mexican potentates exhibited their power.''
--Robertson. ``We are dazzled with the splendor of titles, the ostentation of learning, and the noise of victories.''
--Spectator.
Usage examples of "parade rest".
To the rear of the horsemen were two dozen archers with bows at parade rest against their shoulders.
The colors complimented the long low lines of the men-of-war, all of them painted an arctic white, and the long still columns of men waiting at parade rest at the gangways to take their turn in the small boats scurrying to shore.
Hyakowa about-faced again and assumed the position of parade rest himself.
The men relaxed their positions from rigid attention to something slightly more relaxed than parade rest.
The two squads of Marines who would fire the salute were already lined up, standing at parade rest.
The guards stiffened to parade rest, but they'd been attentive even before their commander appeared.
And control was written all over him: in his uniform with the creases sharp enough to cut butter and the shirt bathed in enough starch to stand at parade rest.
At intervals, men-at-arms in the scarlet and gold livery of Haidion stood with halberds at parade rest.
He stepped back, nodded to his sergeant, and took up a pose of parade rest.