holiday

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A day free from work that one may spend at leisure, especially a day on which custom or the law dictates a halting of general business activity to commemorate or celebrate a particular event.
2. n. A religious feast day; a holy day.
3. n. Chiefly British A vacation. Often used in the phrase on holiday.
4. v. Chiefly British To pass a holiday or vacation.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A consecrated day; a religious anniversary; a day set apart for commemorating some important event or in honor of some person.
2. n. An occasion of joy and gaiety.
3. n. A day of exemption from labor, or of recreation and amusement; a day or a number of days during which ordinary occupations are suspended, either by an individual or by a community.
4. n. Nautical, a spot carelessly left uncoated in tarring or painting a ship or its appurtenances.
5. Pertaining to a festival; befitting a holiday; cheerful; joyous; hence, suited only to a holiday; dainty; not fitted for serious action or life.
6. To make holiday; go pleasuring; waste time in play.
7. n. The Christmas season.

Wiktionary

1. n. A day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed.
2. n. A day declared free from work by the government.
3. n. A period of one or more days taken off work by an employee for leisure.
4. n. A period during which pupils and students do not attend their school or university.
5. n. A period taken off work or study for travel.
6. n. An unintentional gap left on a plated, coated, or painted surface.Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/holiday (accessed: June 26, 2007).
7. v. To take a period of time away from work or study.
8. v. To spend a period of time for travel.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A consecrated day; religious anniversary; a day set apart in honor of some person, or in commemoration of some event. See holyday.
2. n. A day of exemption from labor; a day of amusement and gayety; a festival day.
3. n. A day fixed by law for suspension of business; a legal holiday.
4. adj. Of or pertaining to a festival; cheerful; joyous; gay.
5. adj. Occurring rarely; adapted for a special occasion.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
2. v. spend or take a vacation
3. n. a day on which work is suspended by law or custom