'aquacade' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'aqua', where 'aqua' meant 'water', combined in English with the suffix '-cade' (modeled on words like 'cascade' and 'masquerade') to suggest a spectacle.

'aquacade' was coined in English in the early 20th century, first recorded in the 1930s and popularized by large productions such as Billy Rose's 'Aquacade' at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Initially it meant 'a staged water show', and over time the meaning has remained largely the same though the term is now somewhat specialized or dated.