Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

hol·i·day       (hŏl'ĭ-dā')  Pronunciation Key  n.   A day free from work that one may spend at leisure, especially a day on which custom or the law dictates a halting of general business activity to commemorate or celebrate a particular event. A religious feast day; a holy day. Chiefly British A vacation. Often used in the phrase on holiday. intr.v.   holi·dayed, holi·day·ing, holi·days Chiefly British To pass a holiday or vacation. [Middle English holidai, holy day, from Old English hālig dæg : hālig, holy; see holy + dæg, day; see day.] hol'i·day'er n.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Hol·i·day       (hŏl'ĭ-dā')  Pronunciation Key  American singer. The emotional intensity of her performances made Holiday the leading female jazz vocalist of her time.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
holiday 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

holiday
noun
1.	leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure; "we get two weeks of vacation every summer"; "we took a short holiday in Puerto Rico" [syn: vacation]
2.	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"
verb
1.	spend or take a vacation [syn: vacation]

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

holiday

see busman's holiday.

U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Holiday Heights, NJ (CDP, FIPS 32424) Location: 39.94583 N, 74.25435 W
Population (1990): 703 (381 housing units)
Area: 3.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

Holiday Hills, IL (village, FIPS 35515) Location: 42.29130 N, 88.22688 W
Population (1990): 807 (268 housing units)
Area: 0.8 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water)

Holiday Lakes, TX (town, FIPS 34502) Location: 29.20881 N, 95.51421 W
Population (1990): 1039 (432 housing units)
Area: 2.5 sq km (land), 0.4 sq km (water)

Holiday Valley, OH (CDP, FIPS 35868) Location: 39.84771 N, 83.96652 W
Population (1990): 1243 (433 housing units)
Area: 5.4 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

Holiday City South, NJ (CDP, FIPS 32418) Location: 39.94868 N, 74.23663 W
Population (1990): 5452 (3126 housing units)
Area: 4.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

Holiday, FL (CDP, FIPS 31075) Location: 28.18593 N, 82.74218 W
Population (1990): 19360 (12160 housing units)
Area: 13.4 sq km (land), 0.8 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 34690, 34691

Holiday City-Berkeley, NJ (CDP, FIPS 32415) Location: 39.95959 N, 74.27771 W
Population (1990): 14293 (8808 housing units)
Area: 14.9 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

Holiday City-Dover, NJ (CDP, FIPS 32416) Location: 40.02120 N, 74.16716 W
Population (1990): 2391 (1626 housing units)
Area: 2.9 sq km (land), 0.2 sq km (water)

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Holiday

Hol"i*day\, n. [Holy + day.]

1. A consecrated day; religious anniversary; a day set apart in honor of some person, or in commemoration of some event. See Holyday.

2. A day of exemption from labor; a day of amusement and gayety; a festival day.

And young and old come forth to play On a sunshine holiday. --Milton.

3. (Law) A day fixed by law for suspension of business; a legal holiday.

Note: In the United States legal holidays, so called, are determined by law, commonly by the statutes of the several States. The holidays most generally observed are: the 22d day of February (Washington's birthday), the 30th day of May (Memorial day), the 4th day of July (Independence day), the 25th day of December (Christmas day). In most of the States the 1st day of January is a holiday. When any of these days falls on Sunday, usually the Monday following is observed as the holiday. In many of the States a day in the spring (as Good Friday, or the first Thursday in April), and a day in the fall (as the last Thursday in November) are now regularly appointed by Executive proclamation to be observed, the former as a day of fasting and prayer, the latter as a day of thanksgiving and are kept as holidays. In England, the days of the greater church feasts (designated in the calendar by a red letter, and commonly called red-letter days) are observed as general holidays. Bank holidays are those on which, by act of Parliament, banks may suspend business. Although Sunday is a holiday in the sense of a day when business is legally suspended, it is not usually included in the general term, the phrase "Sundays and holidays" being more common.

The holidays, any fixed or usual period for relaxation or festivity; especially, Christmas and New Year's day with the intervening time.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Holiday

Hol`i*day\, a. 1. Of or pertaining to a festival; cheerful; joyous; gay. --Shak.

2. Occurring rarely; adapted for a special occasion.

Courage is but a holiday kind of virtue, to be seldom exercised. --Dryden.