holiday
Plural: holidays
Noun
- leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
- "we took a short holiday in Puerto Rico"
- a day on which work is suspended by law or custom
- "no mail is delivered on federal holidays"
- "it's a good thing that New Year's was a holiday because everyone had a hangover"
- A day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed.
- A day declared free from work by the state or government.
- A period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel; often plural.
- A period during which pupils do not attend their school; often plural; rarely used for students at university (usually: vacation).
- A period during which, by agreement, the usual payments are not made.
- A gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery.
Verb
Verb Forms: holidayed, holidaying, holidays
- To take a vacation or period of leisure.
- spend or take a vacation
- To take a period of time away from work or study.
- To spend a period of time in recreational travel.
Examples
- a mortgage payment holiday
- After a grueling Scrabble tournament, he decided to holiday on a remote island.
- How much holiday are you allowed?
- I want to take a French course this summer holiday.
- Today is a Wiccan holiday!
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English halyday, holyday, halidei, haliȝdei, from Old English hāliġdæġ (“holy day, Sabbath”), equivalent to holy + day. Compare West Frisian hjeldei (“holiday”), Danish helligdag (“holiday”), Norwegian helligdag (“holiday”), Swedish helgdag (“holiday, feast”).
Synonyms
vacation, annual leave, bank holiday, break, day off, feast day, getaway, holiday, holy day, lacuna, leave, leave of absence, national holiday, pause, recess, time away, time off, vac, vaca, vacay
Scrabble Score: 14
holiday: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordholiday: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
holiday: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary