A procession of people riding horses, or more broadly, any impressive sequence or parade of things.
From Italian 'cavalcata,' derived from 'cavalcare' meaning 'to ride on horseback,' which comes from Latin 'caballus' (horse). The word originally described military parades but expanded metaphorically to mean any grand procession or series. It entered English in the 16th century during the Renaissance.
The word 'cavalcade' is fascinating because it originally meant literal horse parades, but now we use it for anything impressive in sequence—you might hear about 'a cavalcade of celebrities' or 'a cavalcade of disasters.' Language borrowed the visual majesty of mounted warriors and applied it everywhere!
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