English Explanatory Dictionary

holiday

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A day on which a religious event or secular celebration is traditionally observed.
  2. A day declared free from work by the state or government.
  3. A period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel; often plural.
  4. A period during which pupils do not attend their school; often plural; rarely used for students at university (usually: vacation).
  5. A period during which, by agreement, the usual payments are not made.
  6. A gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery.
verb
  1. To take a period of time away from work or study.
  2. To spend a period of time in recreational travel.
name
  1. A surname.
  2. The holiday season or Christmas season, especially when paired with a year.

Pronunciation

/ˈhɒlɪˌdeɪ/ /ˈhɒlɪdi/ /ˈhɑləˌdeɪ/ En-us-holiday.ogg

Word forms

holiday holidays holyday holidaying holidayed Holliday

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos Proto-Germanic *hailaz Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-Germanic *hailagaz Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ-? Proto-Germanic *dagaz Proto-Germanic *hailagadagaz Old English hāliġdæġ Middle English halyday English holiday From Middle English halyday, holyday, halidei, haliȝdei, from Old English hāliġdæġ (“holy day, Sabbath”), equivalent to holy + day. Compare West Frisian hjeldei (“holiday”), Danish helligdag (“holiday”), Norwegian helligdag (“holiday”), Swedish helgdag (“holiday, feast”).

Synonyms

holy day feast day festival bank holiday national holiday day off off day leave time off vacation annual leave break getaway holiday leave of absence pause recess time away vac vaca vacay lacuna

Related words

hallow Halloween whole Halliday

Derived words

alcoholiday all holiday antiholiday bank holiday blindman's holiday blind man's holiday busman's holiday drug holiday enjoy your holiday go on holiday half-holiday Hallmark holiday happy holidays high days and holidays High Holidays holidate Holiday holiday camp holidayer holiday fic holidayfic holiday heart holiday heart syndrome holiday home holidayism holiday let holiday-maker holidaymaker holidaymaking holiday ownership holiday package holiday park holiday pay holiday season holiday speeches holiday time holiday tree holiday village holigay legal holiday national holiday nonholiday package holiday postholiday preholiday public holiday Roman holiday school holiday stat holiday statutory holiday summer holiday unholiday winter holiday
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