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

See Examples For:

Santa Claus

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 vocal music is written for an excellent quartet of singers who play a bevy of Sue-adjacent characters and observers—her ex-husband, Santa Claus, a newscaster, a trio of algorithms and Death, among others.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026

Erdoes loved costumes and on various occasions dressed up as Santa Claus and Mrs. Doubtfire, a character from the 1993 Robin Williams movie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026

It wasn’t a stellar performance this year, and the Santa Claus rally period actually produced a tiny loss.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026

With his white-gold eyebrows and whiskers and beard, and plump, good-natured, reddish face, Otto looks very much like a young Santa Claus.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez