Christmas
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle English Cristemasse, from Old English Cristes mæsse (literally ”Christ's mass”). Equivalent to Christ + -mas.
Pronunciation
Proper noun
Christmas (plural Christmases)
- A festival, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ and incorporating various Christian, pre-Christian and secular customs, which is celebrated on December 25 in most places.
- Do you celebrate Christmas?
- This Christmas we'll open presents then go to grandma's for dinner.
- The Twelve Days of Christmas: Christmastide; the season (traditionally from the 24th of December to the 6th of January) around the holiday.
- A personification of Christmas.
- (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- (marketing, retailing) The Christmas season, variously defined as the period from the Friday following Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, or the end of the year period, when consumers shop and prepare for Christmas.
- The last three Christmases have been good for retailers.
- Christmas shoppers spent less this December, than last year, but our store will probably see just as many returned items during the twelve days of Christmas.
Synonyms
Derived terms
- Christmas box
- Christmas cake
- Christmas card
- Christmas carol
- Christmas cheer
- Christmas club
- Christmas comes but once a year
- Christmas cracker
- Christmas creep
- Christmas Day
- Christmas Eve
- Christmas holly(Please check if this is already defined at target. Replace
{{vern}}
with a regular link if already defined. Add novern=1 if not defined.) (Ilex aquifolium) - Christmas is coming
- Christmas Island
- Christmas present
- Christmas pudding
- Christmas star
- Christmas stocking
- Christmassy
- Christmastide
- Christmas time
- Christmas tree
- Father Christmas
- like turkeys voting for Christmas
- Merry Christmas
- Shitmas
- think all one's Christmases have come at once
- Twelve Days of Christmas
- white Christmas
- X-mas/Xmas
Descendants
- → Afrikaans: Krismis
- → Gilbertese: Kiritimati
- → English: Kiritimati
- → Golin: geresma
- → Hawaiian: Kalikimaka
- → Hopi: Kyesmis
- → Hindi: क्रिसमस (krismas), क्रिस्मस (krismas)
- → Japanese: クリスマス (Kurisumasu)
- → Korean: 크리스마스 (Keuriseumaseu)
Translations
Christian holiday
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Adjective
Christmas (not comparable)
- (US) Red and green (traditional Christmas colors), especially red and green chile sauce in New Mexican cuisine.
See also
associated entries
Anagrams
Scots
Noun
Christmas
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms suffixed with -mas
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɪsməs
- English lemmas
- English proper nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- en:Marketing
- English adjectives
- English uncomparable adjectives
- American English
- en:Christianity
- en:Christmas
- en:Holidays
- en:Personifications
- Scots lemmas
- Scots nouns