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Webster 1913 Edition

Christmas

Christ′mas

,
Noun.
[
Christ
+
mass
.]
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.
Christmas box
.
(a)
A box in which presents are deposited at Christmas.
(b)
A present or small gratuity given to young people and servants at Christmas; a Christmas gift.
–
Christmas carol
,
a carol sung at, or suitable for, Christmas.
–
Christmas day
.
Same as
Christmas
.
–
Christmas eve
,
the evening before Christmas.
–
Christmas fern
(Bot.)
,
an evergreen North American fern (
Aspidium acrostichoides
), which is much used for decoration in winter.
–
Christmas flower
,
Christmas rose
,
the black hellebore, a poisonous plant of the buttercup family, which in Southern Europe often produces beautiful roselike flowers midwinter.
–
Christmas tree
,
a small evergreen tree, set up indoors, to be decorated with bonbons, presents, etc., and illuminated on Christmas eve.

Webster 1828 Edition

Christmas

CHRISTMAS

, n.
1.
The festival of the Christian church observed annually on the 25th day of December, in memory of the birth of Christ, and celebrated by a particular church service. The festival includes twelve days
2.
Christmas-day.

Definition 2024

Christmas

Christmas

English

Alternative forms

Proper noun

Christmas ‎(plural Christmases)

  1. A festival, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ and incorporating various Christian, pre-Christian and secular customs, which is celebrated on December 25 in most places.
    Do you celebrate Christmas?
    This Christmas we'll open presents then go to grandma's for dinner.
  2. The Twelve Days of Christmas: Christmastide; the season (traditionally from the 24th of December to the 6th of January) around the holiday.
  3. A personification of Christmas.
    (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  4. (marketing, retailing) The Christmas season, variously defined as the period from the Friday following Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, or the end of the year period, when consumers shop and prepare for Christmas.
    The last three Christmases have been good for retailers.
    Christmas shoppers spent less this December, than last year, but our store will probably see just as many returned items during the twelve days of Christmas.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Descendants

See also

Scots

Noun

Christmas

  1. Christmas present

Etymology

From late Old English Cristesmæsse ‎(“Christ's mass, Christ's festival”); equivalent to Christ +‎ -mas.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: krĭsʹməs, IPA(key): /ˈkɹɪsməs/
    • Rhymes: -ɪsməs

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