holiday

A1 Topic:Travel

US /ˈhɑləˌdeɪ/ UK /ˈhɒlɪˌdeɪ/ See IPA manual

Freq #2267

Meanings

1

noun
A period of time spent away from work or school for rest or travel.

We are going to Italy for our summer holiday.
2

noun
A day when most people do not work, often to mark a special event.

No mail is delivered on national holidays.
3

verb
To spend a holiday somewhere.

They holiday in Spain every year.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a period of time spent away... vacation break

3 verb · to spend a holiday somewhere. vacation

Word family

Forms holidayedholidayingholidays

Derived forms alcoholidayantiholidayhalf-holidayholidateholiday-makerholidayerholidayficholidayismholidaymakerholidaymakingholigaynonholiday

Related forms hallowhalloweenwhole

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

holiday resort
a hotel or accommodation complex in a place visited for vacations

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Holiday is an Old English compound that originally meant “holy day,” a day reserved for religious observance. It was historically distinguished from a high day, an especially important festival commemorating a sacred person or event.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos Proto-Germanic *hailaz Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-Germanic *hailagaz Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ-? Proto-Germanic *dagaz Proto-Germanic *hailagadagaz Old English hāliġdæġ Middle English halyday English holiday 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”).

halyday Middle English hāliġdæġ Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Travel

External links

# holiday

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈhɑləˌdeɪ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈhɒlɪˌdeɪ/
**Frequency rank:** 2267

## Meanings
1. A period of time spent away from work or school for rest or travel.
2. A day when most people do not work, often to mark a special event.
3. To spend a holiday somewhere.

## Examples
- We are going to Italy for our summer holiday.
- No mail is delivered on national holidays.
- They holiday in Spain every year.

## Derived Forms
- alcoholiday
- antiholiday
- half-holiday
- holidate
- holiday-maker
- holidayer
- holidayfic
- holidayism
- holidaymaker
- holidaymaking
- holigay
- nonholiday

## Related Forms
- hallow
- halloween
- whole

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: halyday
- Root: hāliġdæġ

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos Proto-Germanic *hailaz Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-Germanic *hailagaz Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ-? Proto-Germanic *dagaz Proto-Germanic *hailagadagaz Old English hāliġdæġ Middle English halyday English holiday 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”).

## AI Etymology
Holiday comes 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”). The historical chain runs through Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos, Proto-Germanic *hailaz, Proto-Indo-European *-kos, Proto-Germanic *-gaz, Proto-Germanic *hailagaz, Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ-?, Proto-Germanic *dagaz, Proto-Germanic *hailagadagaz, Old English hāliġdæġ, Middle English halyday, and English holiday. In current use, the main senses are “A period of time spent away from work or school for rest or travel” and “A day when most people do not work, often to mark a special event”.

## Topics
- Travel

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