Santa Claus

American  

[san-tuh klawz] / ˈsæn tə ˌklɔz /

Or Santa Klaus

noun

1. a benevolent figure of legend, associated with Saint Nicholas, supposed to bring gifts to children on Christmas Eve.

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Santa Claus British  

/ ˈsæntə ˌklɔːz /

noun

1. Often shortened to: Santa.  Also called: Father Christmas.  the legendary patron saint of children, commonly identified with Saint Nicholas, who brings presents to children on Christmas Eve or, in some European countries, on Saint Nicholas' Day

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Etymology

Origin of Santa Claus

1765–75, from Dutch Sinterklaas, equivalent to sint saint + heer (Myn)heer ( def. ) + Klaas, short for Niklaas Nicholas ( def. )

Example Sentences

St. Nicholas—the bishop who came to be associated with Santa Claus—is said to have punched him in the face.

From The Wall Street Journal

And then, right on cue, Santa Claus closed it out — a familiar ending to a rare, peaceful holiday start.

From Salon

A Nordic heatwave saw 22 straight days of temperatures over 30C in Finland, the longest since records began, with reindeer dying of the heat in Rovaniemi, known as "the hometown of Santa Claus".

From Barron's

December remains one of the strongest months of the year for stocks, helped in part by the so-called Santa Claus rally that typically lifts indexes over the final trading days of the year.

From Barron's

December remains one of the strongest months of the year for stocks, helped in part by the so-called Santa Claus rally that typically lifts indexes over the final trading days of the year.

From Barron's