Marquees

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large tent used for outdoor gatherings, often seen at weddings or festivals
2. A structure providing shade and shelter for events, typically used for social functions
3. A decorative canopy that offers protection from the elements for guests at celebrations

Etymology: "Marquees" is the plural of "marquee," a large tent or canopy set up for outdoor events. The singular entered English from French "marquise," a word that originally meant a woman of noble rank, the wife or widow of a marquess. How a title for a noblewoman came to name a tent is a matter of shifting usage rather than a single clear story, and the sources behind the link are not fully settled. The deeper roots lie in a word for a border. "Marquise" traces back through a Germanic root related to "march," meaning a border country or frontier territory, and to "margin," meaning an edge. Titles like marquess were originally tied to the officials who guarded such frontiers, which connects the word for a tent to the idea of an edge or boundary. The term is also related to "marque," a mark or sign, which shares that same ancestry.

Synonyms: tents, pavilions, canopies