Christmas

Proper noun

Christmas (countable and uncountable, plural Christmases or Christmasses)

1. (also, attributive) A festival or holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ and incorporating various Christian, pre-Christian, pagan, and secular customs including gift-giving, which in Western Christianity is celebrated on December 25 (Christmas Day) in most places.
   • Do you celebrate Christmas?
   • This Christmas we’ll open presents, then go to grandma’s for dinner.

   Synonyms:

   Chrimble, Chrimbo, Chrissy, Crimble, Crimbo, Noel, Yule

2. (also, attributive) An uninhabited mining community in Gila County, Arizona.
3. (also, attributive) A census-designated place in Orange County, Florida.
4. (also, attributive) An unincorporated community in Au Train Township, Alger County, Michigan.
5. (also, attributive) An unincorporated community in Bolivar County, Mississippi.
6. (also, attributive) A surname.

Noun

Christmas (uncountable)

1. (UK, also, attributive, informal, regional) Sprigs of holly and other evergreen plants used as Christmas decorations; also (generally), any Christmas decorations.
   • [T]he antient Britons employed for the decoration of their houſes, or, more properly ſpeaking, of their bovvers, branches of ever-green, in invitation to the ſpirits: a cuſtom, vvhich, hovvever the motive may be aboliſhed, is retained to this inſtant. That kind of verdure vvhich is uſed to deck the...1766, [John Cleland], “Essay on the Musical Waits at Christmas”, in The Way to Things by Words, and to Words by Things; […], London: […] L[ockyer John] Davis and C[harles] Reymers, […], →OCLC, page 96
   • "Vere does the mince-pies go, young opium eater?" said Mr. Weller to the fat boy, as he assisted in laying out such articles of consumption as had not been duly arranged on the previous night. The fat boy pointed to the destination of the pies. "Wery good," said Sam, "stick a bit o' Christmas in...1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, “A Good-humoured Christmas Chapter, […]”, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC, page 290

   Synonyms:

   Christmasing

Adjective

Christmas (not comparable)

1. (US, also, attributive) Red and green in color.
2. (US, also, attributive, chiefly New Mexico) Of a dish: having a sauce made with red (ripe) and green (unripe) chili peppers.

Verb

Christmas (third-person singular simple present Christmases or Christmasses, present participle Christmasing or Christmassing, simple past and past participle Christmased or Christmassed)

1. (US, also, attributive, informal, transitive) To decorate (a place) with Christmas (“sprigs of holly and other evergreen plants used as Christmas decorations, or any Christmas decorations”).
   • "Then look," said a gardener to me, "what's spent on a Christmasing the churches! Why, now, properly to Christmas St. Paul's, I say properly, mind, would take 50l. worth at least; aye, more, when I think of it, nearer 100l. I hope there'll be no 'No Popery' nonsense against Christmasing this year....1851, Henry Mayhew, “Of the Sellers of Trees, Shrubs, Flowers (Cut and in Pots), Roots, Seeds, and Branches”, in London Labour and the London Poor; […], volume I (The London Street-folk. Book the...
   • (Moving to the holly boughs.) Come on; let's finish Christmassing the place.1966, James Goldman, The Lion in Winter: A Comedy in Two Acts, New York, N.Y.; Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif.: Samuel French, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, page 17
2. (US, also, attributive, obsolete, rare, transitive) To bring (someone) Christmas cheer.
   • Her labours feast imperial Night with sports, / Where loves are Christmass'd, with all pleasure's sorts; […]1594, George Chapman, “The Shadow of Night. Hymnus in Noctem.”, in Richard Herne Shepherd, editor, The Works of George Chapman: Poems and Minor Translations. […], London: Chatto and Windus, […]...
3. (US, also, attributive, intransitive) To celebrate Christmas.
   • The 2016 campaign via TBWA Sydney asks the question, ‘How do Australians Christmas?’ with a film to be launched today featuring global superstar and style icon, Cate Blanchett.2016 November 3, Ricki Green, “David Jones Asks ‘How do Australians Christmas?’ in New Campaign via TBWA Sydney”, in Campaign Brief, archived from the original on 24 Dec 2023
4. (US, also, attributive, intransitive) To spend Christmas or the Christmas season in some place.
   • I've Christmased since those palmy days / In many a varied spot, / And suffered many a weary phase / Of Christmas cold and hot.1878, “Ironbark” [pseudonym; George Herbert Gibson], “Christmas in Australia”, in Southerly Busters, Sydney, N.S.W.: John Sands, […], →OCLC, page 73
   • I have spent Christmas on the Severn, at Sharpness Point; in Paris, under siege, and among scenes of heartrending distress; among the Scotch hills, with Presbyterian severity, and I have Christmased in Normandy, where every tree seems green with mistletoe.1878 December, Horace L. Nicholson, “Baulked by a Berry”, in W. J. Morgan, editor, The St. James’s Magazine and United Empire Review, volume XXXIV, London: Charing Cross Publishing Company, […]...
5. (US, also, attributive, colloquial) To subject to Christmas celebrations.
   • “[…] But there’s only so much joyful, greedy delight you can see in a young child’s eyes before you want to go screaming out for the nearest bar.” He tossed his handstitched, kidskin gloves onto the table top. “I’m about Christmassed-out, if you want to know.”2001, Susan Kiernan-Lewis, chapter 17, in Toujours Dead: A Mystery in Provence, Atlanta: Abdale Books, →ISBN, page 342
   • "The kids claim they are all Christmassed-out and have disappeared in protest."2008, Tina-Sue Ducross, No Shadows Left Behind, Galion, Oh.: Harris Innovations, →ISBN, page 204

Interjection

1. (US, also, attributive, euphemistic) An expression of annoyance or surprise: Christ, Jesus Christ, Jiminy Cricket, Jiminy Crickets.
   • "Christmas! I didn't know it," said Harvey, turning round. "I'll give you a dollar for it when I—get my wages. Say, I'll give you two dollars."1897, Rudyard Kipling, Captains Courageous
   • "I've been tottering on the edge … Christmas!" His eyes brightened with a sudden thought. "How stupid I've been!" he cried at once.1930, Ellery Queen [pseudonym; Frederic Dannay, Manfred Bennington Lee], “‘The Time has Come …’”, in The French Powder Mystery: A Problem in Deduction, New York, N.Y.: Frederick A[bbott] Stokes...

   Synonyms:

   Jesus Christmas, jiminy Christmas, Jimmy Christmas