Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A Christian feast commemorating the birth of Jesus.
- n. December 25, the day on which this feast is celebrated.
- n. Christmastide.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The festival of the Christian church observed annually in memory of the birth of Christ. The festival properly begins with the evening of the 24th day of December, called
Christmas eve . and continues until Epiphany, on the 6th of January, the whole period being calledChrist-max-tide ; but it is more particularly observed on the 25th of December, which is calledChristmas day or simply Christmas. In the Roman, Greek, Episcopal, and Lutheran churches Christmas is observed as a religious festival with special services. Its celebration was formerly forbidden by the Puritans, but Christmas day is now generally observed throughout Christendom by religious services, by public and social festivities, by the interchange of gifts between relatives and friends, and by the distributing of food and clothing among the poor. In most Christian communities Christmas is a legal holiday. - n. Christmas day, the 25th day of December.
- n. [lowercase] The holly, Ilex Aquifolium, from its use for decoration on Christmas day.
- n. A box of presents at Christmas.
Wiktionary
- n. A widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, incorporating various Christian, pre-Christian and secular customs.
- n. A personification of Christmas.
- n. Christmas Day, the day it is celebrated, 25 December, an English quarter day.
- n. Christmastide, the Twelve Days of Christmas, the season (traditionally from the 24th of December to the 6th of January) around the holiday.
- n. US, retailing The period from the Friday following Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, busy with shopping and preparations for Christmas.
- n. marketing, retailing Christmas season, the end of the year period, busy with shopping and preparations for Christmas.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. An annual church festival (December 25) and in some States a legal holiday, in memory of the birth of Christ, often celebrated by a particular church service, and also by special gifts, greetings, and hospitality.
WordNet 3.0
- n. period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
- n. a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ; a quarter day in England, Wales, and Ireland
Etymologies
- From late Old English Cristesmæsse ("Christ's mass, Christ's festival"); as if Christ + -mas. (Wiktionary)
- Middle English Cristemas, from Old English Crīstes mæsse, Christ's festival : Crīst, Christ; see Christ + mæsse, festival; see Mass. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic slogan “A dog is for life not just for Christmas®” Dogs Trust has commissioned new research which looks at dog trends from the last thirty years including the number of dogs that are being offered as Christmas gifts.”
“* A Bigfoot Christmas* by James Powell James Powell's bungling but beloved Bullock is back for another Christmas adventure, this one involving, of all things, the "Bigfoot," a creature of the same ilk as the Abominable Snowman of lore.”
“Over all the doors, which are likewise arched, are Christmas garlands, and over the main entrance _Merry Christmas_ in evergreen letters.”
“Another old Christmas belief may be found in the _Golden Legend_, printed by Wynkyn de Worde, where it is said, "that what persone beynge in clene lyfe desyre on thys daye (_Christmas_) a boone of God: as ferre as it is ryghtfull and good for hym, our lorde at reuerence of thys blessid and hye feste of his natiuite wol graunt it to hym.”
“Extracts from many of Miss Alcott's stories, the Cratchits 'Christmas dinner from Dickens' _Christmas Carol_, and many other delightful glimpses of home life can be read, or, better, dramatized, with little effort and with good results.”
“He remembered Scrooge and his journey with the Ghost of Christmas Past in Dickens's _Christmas Carol_.”
“Not a Christmas of "present trading," not a Christmas of things at all; but _Christmas_.”
“Oh well, _I_ don't care, I'm not going to let my Christmas Eve be disturbed by a thing _like that_; if one can call it a _Christmas Eve_ at all.”
“And before Christmas just that last part got hold of me, and since Christmas ”
“As we kept our Christmas here, I called this discovery _Christmas”
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘Christmas’.
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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FUN - Beatles song titles
Typical words from Beatles song titles. Can you recreate the titles?
(Grammatical words have been omitted)polythene, Sun King, rhythm and blues, taxman, tripper, monkey business, mailman, matchbox, rock and roll, ooh, blue jay, reprise and 388 more...
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Words sung by: Belle and Sebastian
beguiling, herbaceous, peninsula, suffragette, damascan, hastening, berserk, overtime, leccy, bestow, swathe, arab strap and 193 more...
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Do-it-yourself Christmas Carol List
Tired of singing the same carols year after year? Wanna mix it up a little? Now you can, with the Do-it-yourself Christmas Carol List (from the creator of the Doo-it-yourself Doowop List). Just mix...
let it, reindeer, silent, child, Christmas, got run over by a, mercy mild, winter, joyful, holly, newborn, king and 59 more...
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Sufjan Stevens invites you to Come On...
All things Sufjan.
Sufjan Stevens, Illinois, Michigan, Christmas, what would Frank ..., seven swans, revenant, Casimir Pulaski Day, Asthmatic Kitty, Enjoy Your Rabbit, Carl Sandburg, Superman and 50 more...
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Basic English Vocabulary
Very basic words for ESL students.
contemplate, container, consumer, consultant, consensus, conscious, conscience, connection, confusion, confront, conflict, confident and 4334 more...
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1906 Railway Cipher Code
Terms from the Standard Cipher Code of the American Railway Association, 1906. The terms were shorthand for common phrases used in telegraphic communications between station agents and Railway Asso...
abdominal, abetting, abiology, ablative, abnormal, abominate, aboveboard, abrasive, absinth, abstinent, accursed, acetate and 212 more...
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Words of the Day
glabella, chirotony, nook-shotten, crapehanger, filemot, swirlie, egosurf, lexiphanicism, Ruritanian, stichometry, chrononaut, faldstool and 1991 more...
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Favoritter
tiptoe, paw, flutter, winged, onto, present, glisten, bitter, molecule, forever and a day, collapse, drift and 23 more...
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You'll shoot your eye out!
Words from my favorite holiday movie, A Christmas Story.
BB gun, air rifle, snowsuit, flick, double dog dare, triple dog dare, flagpole, tongue, stuck, theme, Christmas, bully and 30 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for Christmas.
bilby Scrooge McScroogeycipherpants. Jan 21, 2013
hernesheir Railroad telegraphers' shorthand meaning "Charges have not been guaranteed". --US Railway Association, Standard Cipher Code, 1906. Jan 21, 2013
marky happy december 25th, 2010 ya'll. Dec 25, 2010
yarb Happy Xmas everyone. I'm just about to go downstairs and mutilate the carrots. Dec 25, 2010
PossibleUnderscore Ooh! Earworm alert!
Very good though, and I'm no expert when it comes to banjos. Dec 25, 2010
hernesheir Watch Tom Collins play and sing Breakin' up Christmas" on the fretless banjo. He plays in the old time drop-thumb two-finger "clawhammer" style. Awesome. Breakin' up Christmas all night long... Dec 24, 2010
PossibleUnderscore Merry Christmas from Australia!
I'm sorry (some of) you guys have to wait those couple hours more.
; )
I guess that makes the work easier for Santa though.
Dec 24, 2010