kermis

or ker·mess, kir·mess

[ kur-mis ]
See synonyms for kermis on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. (in the Low Countries) a local, annual outdoor fair or festival.

  2. a similar entertainment, usually for charitable purposes.

Origin of kermis

1
1570–80; <Dutch, earlier ker(c)misse (kercchurch + misseMass); originally a fair at the dedication of a church

Words Nearby kermis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use kermis in a sentence

  • The Arabs received the kermis from Armenia, and the name was originally “Quer-més,” “oak-apple.”

    Needlework As Art | Marian Alford
  • One week each year they have a great festival called the "kermis," which is not unlike the old-fashioned carnival in this country.

    Birdseye Views of Far Lands | James T. Nichols
  • The travelling temples reserved for the honour of poffertjes and wafelen are the most noticeable features of any kermis.

    A Wanderer in Holland | E. V. Lucas
  • It was at Leyden that I saw my first kermis, or fair, seven years ago, and ate my first poffertjes and wafelen.

    A Wanderer in Holland | E. V. Lucas
  • Writing as a foreigner, in no way concerned with the matter, I may express regret that the kermis is not what it was in Holland.

    A Wanderer in Holland | E. V. Lucas

British Dictionary definitions for kermis

kermis

kirmess

/ (ˈkɜːmɪs) /


noun
  1. (formerly, esp in Holland and Northern Germany) an annual country festival or carnival

  2. US and Canadian a similar event, esp one held to collect money for charity

Origin of kermis

1
C16: from Middle Dutch kercmisse, from kerc church + misse Mass; originally a festival held to celebrate the dedication of a church

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012