Whitsunday

[ hwit-suhn-dey, -dee, wit-; hwit-suhn-dey, wit- ]

/ ˈʰwɪtˈsʌn deɪ, -di, ˈwɪt-; ˈʰwɪt sənˌdeɪ, ˈwɪt- /

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noun

the seventh Sunday after Easter, celebrated as a festival in commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

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Origin of Whitsunday

before 1100; Middle English whitsonenday,Old English Hwīta Sunnandæg white Sunday; probably so called because the newly baptized wore white robes on that day

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Whitsunday in a sentence

One of the last of his public acts was the coming there on Whit-Sunday, a fortnight before his fatal wound.
Journal in France in 1845 and 1848 with Letters from Italy in 1847|T. W. (Thomas William) Allies
I begin at Whit-Sunday to build a house, drive lime, etc., and Heaven be my help!
The Letters of Robert Burns|Robert Burns
On Whit-Sunday some of the young folks rise early to see the sun dance on the water and wash their faces in the dew.
Denmark|M. Pearson Thomson
I begin at Whit-Sunday to build a house, drive lime, &c.; and heaven be my help!
The Complete Works of Robert Burns: Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence.|Robert Burns and Allan Cunningham

For this reason, I am at present attending these instructions, to have them completed before Whit-sunday.
The Complete Works of Robert Burns: Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence.|Robert Burns and Allan Cunningham

British Dictionary definitions for Whitsunday (1 of 2)

Whitsunday

/ (ˌhwɪtˈsʌndɪ, ˌwɪt-) /

noun

(in Scotland) May 15, one of the four quarter days

British Dictionary definitions for Whitsunday (2 of 2)

Whit Sunday

noun

the seventh Sunday after Easter, observed as a feast in commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles 50 days after EasterAlso called: Pentecost

Word Origin for Whit Sunday

Old English hwīta sunnandæg white Sunday, probably named after the ancient custom of wearing white robes at or after baptism

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