Easter

See also: easter

English

Etymology

From Middle English Ester,[1][2] Eestour, from ēastre (“Easter”),[1][2] cognate to Old High German ōstarūn,[1][2] and related to Ēostre, Ēastre, a goddess and her festival that was celebrated at the vernal equinox,[1] from Proto-Germanic *Austrǭ, as well as to east.[1][2] Cognate with German Low German Oostern (“Easter”), German Ostern and German Osterfest (“Easter”).

Pronunciation

Noun

Easter (countable and uncountable, plural Easters)

  1. (Christianity) A Christian feast commemorating the resurrection of Christ; the first Sunday (and Monday) following the full moon that occurs on or next after the vernal equinox, ranging from March 22 to April 25.
    We spent each of the past five Easters together as a family.
  2. Eastertide
  3. (obsolete) The Jewish Passover.
    • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Mark XIV:
      After two dayes folowed ester, and the dayes of swete breed.
  4. (paganism) A festival held in honour of the goddess Eostre or Ostara, celebrated at the spring equinox or within the month of April, and also called Ostara or Eostre.
  5. Easter term.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 “Easter” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
  2. 1 2 3 4 “Easter” in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Anagrams

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