different between holiday vs playday

English

Etymology

From Middle English halyday, holyday, halidei, hali?dei, from Old English h?li?dæ? (“holy day, Sabbath”), equivalent to holy +? day. Compare West Frisian hjeldei (“holiday”), Danish helligdag (“holiday”), Norwegian helligdag (“holiday”), Swedish helgdag (“holiday, feast”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?h?l?de?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?h?l??de?/

Noun

holiday (plural holidays)

1. A day on which a festival, religious event, or national celebration is traditionally observed.

   Synonyms: feast day, holy day

2. A day declared free from work by the state or government.

   Synonyms: (UK) bank holiday, national holiday

3. (chiefly Britain, Australia) A period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel; often plural.

   Synonyms: leave, time off, (US) vacation; see also Thesaurus:vacation
4. (chiefly Britain, Australia) A period during which pupils do not attend their school; often plural; rarely used for students at university (usually: vacation).

   Synonym: (US) vacation

5. (finance) A period during which, by agreement, the usual payments are not made.

6. A gap in coverage, e.g. of paint on a surface, or sonar imagery.

   Synonym: lacuna

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

holiday (third-person singular simple present holidays, present participle holidaying, simple past and past participle holidayed) (chiefly Britain)

1. To take a period of time away from work or study.
2. (Britain) To spend a period of time for travel.

Translations

References

Anagrams

• hyaloid, hyoidal

Middle English

Noun

holiday

1. Alternative form of halyday

English

Etymology

play +? day

Noun

playday (plural playdays)

1. A day given to play or diversion; a holiday.
   • July 28 1728, Jonathan Swift, My Lady's Lamentation and Complaint against the Dean

     To ease a poor lady,
     And beg her a playday.
     So may you be seen
     No more in the spleen!