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

The "spooky" note, dated to 1964, said the coins were winnings from a horse called Santa Claus that ran that year.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

The SantaCon website describes it as “a charitable, nonpolitical, nonsensical Santa Claus convention that happens once a year to fund art & spread absurdist joy.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

SantaCon is a ticketed pub-crawl event, which is attended by around 25,000 people dressed as Santa Claus and other holiday characters, according to the charging document against Pildes.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Hirsch’s father, Yale Hirsch, founder of the Stock Trader’s Almanac, popularized the Santa Claus rally indicator back in the early 1970s.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 4, 2026

His wild gray hair and long beard made him look like a cross between Albert Einstein and Santa Claus.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline