Refine this word faster
Easter
Definitions
- 1 Eastern. dialectal
"In the mean while, as our apartment was a corner one, and looked both east and north, I ran to the easter casement to look after Drummond."
- 2 comparative form of east: more east comparative, form-of
- 1 A surname.
- 1 A Christian feast commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated on the first Sunday (and Monday) following the full moon that occurs on or next after the vernal equinox, ranging in most of Western Christianity (such as Protestantism and Roman Catholicism) from March 22 to April 25, and in Eastern Christianity (such as the Coptic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church) from April 4 to May 8. countable, uncountable
"We spent each of the past five Easters together as a family."
- 2 A strong easterly wind (a wind blowing from the east).
"A northeaster in one place may be an easter, a norther, or a souther in some other locality."
- 3 a wind from the east wordnet
- 4 Eastertide (“the period from Easter to Whitsun”). countable, uncountable
"Meronyms: Easter Day, Easter Sunday"
- 5 a Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ; celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Usually preceded by an inflection of make: the act of receiving the Eucharist during Easter. countable, dated, figuratively, specifically, uncountable
- 7 Ellipsis of Easter term. Ireland, UK, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
- 8 A festival held in honour of the goddess Eostre or Ostara, celebrated at the vernal equinox or within the month of April; Eostre, Ostara. countable, uncountable
- 9 The Jewish Passover. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"After two dayes folowed eſter⸝ and the dayes of ſwete breed. And the hye preſtꝭ [prestis] and ſcrybꝭ [scrybis] ſought meanes⸝ howe they myght take hym [Jesus] by crafte and putt hym to deeth."
- 1 To celebrate Easter. intransitive
- 2 To move toward the east.
"Off Tilbury the Alcyone's topsail-yard was carried away just forward of the slings; she set a jib-headed one; at Thames Haven the wind eastered ..."
- 3 To spend the Easter season in some place. intransitive
Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English Ester, from Old English ēastre, seemingly from Ēastre, a proposed Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn whose festival is thought to have been celebrated around the vernal equinox. Further from Proto-West Germanic *Austrā, from Proto-Germanic *Austrǭ, derived from either Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- (“dawn; east”) or, more semantically plausible, from *austrą, *auzrą, a metathesized form of *wazrą (“spring (season)”), *-ǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *wósr̥ (“spring”). The English word is cognate with German Low German Oostern (“Easter”), Old High German ōstarūn (modern German Ostern) and is possibly a doublet of east. Despite a modern folk etymology, not related to Ishtar. The verb is derived from the noun.
The noun is derived from Middle English Ester, from Old English ēastre, seemingly from Ēastre, a proposed Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn whose festival is thought to have been celebrated around the vernal equinox. Further from Proto-West Germanic *Austrā, from Proto-Germanic *Austrǭ, derived from either Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- (“dawn; east”) or, more semantically plausible, from *austrą, *auzrą, a metathesized form of *wazrą (“spring (season)”), *-ǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *wósr̥ (“spring”). The English word is cognate with German Low German Oostern (“Easter”), Old High German ōstarūn (modern German Ostern) and is possibly a doublet of east. Despite a modern folk etymology, not related to Ishtar. The verb is derived from the noun.
The noun is derived from Middle English Ester, from Old English ēastre, seemingly from Ēastre, a proposed Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn whose festival is thought to have been celebrated around the vernal equinox. Further from Proto-West Germanic *Austrā, from Proto-Germanic *Austrǭ, derived from either Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- (“dawn; east”) or, more semantically plausible, from *austrą, *auzrą, a metathesized form of *wazrą (“spring (season)”), *-ǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *wósr̥ (“spring”). The English word is cognate with German Low German Oostern (“Easter”), Old High German ōstarūn (modern German Ostern) and is possibly a doublet of east. Despite a modern folk etymology, not related to Ishtar. The verb is derived from the noun.
From Old English eastera, eastra. Compare norther, souther, wester.
From Old English eastera, eastra. Compare norther, souther, wester.
From Old English eastera, eastra. Compare norther, souther, wester.
See also for "easter"
Next best steps
Mini challenge
Unscramble this word: easter