Arcade

Arcade (Fr.), a row of arches supported by columns, either having an open space of greater or less width behind them, or in contact with masonry. The arcade in Gothic corresponds to the colonnade in classical architecture. The term arcade is sometimes applied to the row of piers, or columns and arches, by which the aisles are divided from the nave of a church, or by which cloisters, or what are erroneously called piazzas in Britain, are inclosed; but it is more generally confined to those series of smaller arches which are employed simply for purposes of ornamentation. Arcades of the latter kind are often found surrounding the square towers of English churches. The term is also applied, but improperly, to a glass-covered street or lane, with a row of shops or stalls on each side.