Samhain
or Sa·main, sa·mh'in
[sah-win]
- a festival of the ancient Celts, held around November 1 to celebrate the beginning of winter.
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Origin of Samhain
1885–90; < Irish; Old Irish samain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for samhain
Historical Examples
Ireland has a literature of Hallowe'en, or "Samhain," as it used to be called.
The Book of Hallowe'enRuth Edna Kelley
It was on the week before Samhain that the Fomor landed upon Ireland.
The Book of Hallowe'enRuth Edna Kelley
Child: It is a pity daddy to be away at the fair on a Samhain night.
Seven Short PlaysLady Gregory
Anyway, I was driven out a Samhain day like this, because of some things that were said against me.
Seven Short PlaysLady Gregory
Mother: I must make my feast all the same, for Samhain night is more to me than to any other one.
Seven Short PlaysLady Gregory
Samhain
- an ancient Celtic festival held on Nov 1 to mark the beginning of winter and the beginning of a new year. It is also celebrated by modern pagans
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Word Origin
from Irish, from Old Irish samain
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for samhain
Samhain
n.
1888, from Irish samhain (Gaelic samhuinn), from Old Irish samain, literally "summer's end," from Old Irish sam "summer" (see summer (n.1)) + fuin "end." Nov. 1, the Celtic festival of the start of winter and of the new year.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper