pageant
UK[ˈpædʒənt]US[ˈpædʒənt]
n
A public entertainment consisting of a procession of people in elaborate, colorful costumes, or an outdoor performance of a historical scene.
n
A competition, especially a beauty contest, to select a winner.
n
An impressive display or series of events, especially one considered empty or showy.
Etymology
The word 'pageant' has a fascinating journey from a concrete object to an abstract spectacle. It entered Middle English in the late 14th century as 'pagent', meaning a 'stage or scene of a play'. This was borrowed from Anglo-Latin 'pagina', which in this context meant a 'stage, platform, or scene of a play'. This theatrical sense of the Latin 'pagina' (which primarily meant a 'sheet of paper' or 'page of a book') likely arose from the idea of a play being presented in successive scenes or 'pages'. Over time, the meaning expanded from the physical stage to the elaborate, costumed procession or spectacle performed upon it, eventually encompassing any impressive or showy display, including modern competitions.
Analysis
This word is a loanword where the morphemes are not productively separable in modern English. Its core form is treated as a simplex unit.
Examples
The town's annual historical pageant features residents dressed as knights and royalty.
She won the title in the Miss Universe pageant.
The coronation was a magnificent pageant of tradition and splendor.