definitions

holiday

[ hol-i-dey ]
/ ˈhɒl ɪˌdeɪ /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR holiday ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

adjective

of or relating to a festival; festive; joyous: a holiday mood.
suitable for a holiday: holiday attire.

verb (used without object)

Chiefly British. to vacation: to holiday at the seaside.

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RELATED WORDS

festivity, recess, festival, feast, anniversary, vacation, break, layoff, gala, celebration, leave, fete, fiesta, liberty, jubilee

Nearby words

holey, holguín, holi, holiatry, holibut, holiday, holiday camp, holiday, billie, holiday-maker, holidayer, holidaymaker

Origin of holiday

before 950; Middle English; Old English hāligdæg. See holy, day
Related formspre·hol·i·day, adjective

Definition for holiday (2 of 2)

Holiday

[ hol-i-dey ]
/ ˈhɒl ɪˌdeɪ /

noun

BillieLady Day, 1915–59, U.S. jazz singer.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for holiday

British Dictionary definitions for holiday (1 of 2)

holiday

/ (ˈhɒlɪˌdeɪ, -dɪ) /

noun

(often plural) mainly British
  1. a period in which a break is taken from work or studies for rest, travel, or recreationUS and Canadian word: vacation
  2. (as modifier)a holiday mood
a day on which work is suspended by law or custom, such as a religious festival, bank holiday, etcRelated adjective: ferial

verb

(intr) mainly British to spend a holiday

Word Origin for holiday

Old English hāligdæg, literally: holy day

British Dictionary definitions for holiday (2 of 2)

Holiday

/ (ˈhɒlɪˌdeɪ) /

noun

Billie. real name Eleanora Fagan; known as Lady Day. 1915–59, US jazz singer
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

Word Origin and History for holiday

holiday

n.

1500s, earlier haliday (c.1200), from Old English haligdæg "holy day; Sabbath," from halig "holy" (see holy) + dæg "day" (see day); in 14c. meaning both "religious festival" and "day of recreation," but pronunciation and sense diverged 16c. As a verb meaning "to pass the holidays" by 1869.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with holiday

holiday

see busman's holiday.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.