Dictionary.com

May Day

Save This Word!

noun
the first day of May, long celebrated with various festivities, as the crowning of the May queen, dancing around the Maypole, and, in recent years, often marked by labor parades and political demonstrations.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of May Day

Middle English word dating back to 1225–75

Other definitions for May Day (2 of 2)

Mayday
[ mey-dey ]
/ ˈmeɪˌdeɪ /

noun
the international radiotelephone distress signal, used by ships and aircraft.

Origin of Mayday

1925–30; <French (venez) m'aider (come) help me!
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use May Day in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for May Day (1 of 2)

Mayday
/ (ˈmeɪˌdeɪ) /

noun
the international radiotelephone distress signal

Word Origin for Mayday

C20: phonetic spelling of French m'aidez help me

British Dictionary definitions for May Day (2 of 2)

May Day

noun
  1. the first day of May, traditionally a celebration of the coming of spring: in some countries now observed as a holiday in honour of workers
  2. (as modifier)May-Day celebrations
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
FEEDBACK