Word Meanings - EASTER - Book Publishers vocabulary database

to G. ostern; fr. AS. Eástre, a goddess of light or spring, in honor of whom a festival was celebrated in April; whence this month was 1. An annual church festival commemorating Christ's resurrection, and occurring on Sunday, the second day after

Additional info about word: EASTER

to G. ostern; fr. AS. Eástre, a goddess of light or spring, in honor of whom a festival was celebrated in April; whence this month was 1. An annual church festival commemorating Christ's resurrection, and occurring on Sunday, the second day after Good Friday. It corresponds to the pasha or passover of the Jews, and most nations still give it this name under the various forms of pascha, pasque, pâque, or pask. 2. The day on which the festival is observed; Easter day. Note: Easter is used either adjectively or as the first element of a compound; as, Easter day or Easter-day, Easter Sunday, Easter week, Easter gifts. Sundays by thee more glorious break, An Easter day in every week. Keble. Note: Easter day, on which the rest of the movable feasts depend, is always the first Sunday after the fourteenth day of the calendar moon which falls on, or next after, the 21st of March, according to the rules laid down for the construction of the calendar; so that if the fourteenth day happen on a Sunday, Easter day is the Sunday after. Eng. Cyc. Easter dues , money due to the clergy at Easter, formerly paid in communication of the tithe for personal labor and subject to exaction. For Easter dues, Easter offerings, voluntary gifts, have been substituted. -- Easter egg. A painted or colored egg used as a present at Easter. An imitation of an egg, in sugar or some fine material, sometimes made to serve as a box for jewelry or the like, used as an Easter present.

Related words: (words related to EASTER)

• SECOND
  1. Immediately following the first; next to the first in order of place or time; hence, occuring again; another; other. And he slept and dreamed the second time. Gen. xli. 5. 2. Next to the first in value, power, excellence, dignity,
• CHURCHLINESS
  Regard for the church.
• AFTERCAST
  A throw of dice after the game in ended; hence, anything done too late. Gower.
• SPREADINGLY
  , adv. Increasingly. The best times were spreadingly infected. Milton.
• LIGHT
  licht, OHG. lioht, Goth. liuhap, Icel. lj, L. lux light, lucere to 1. That agent, force, or action in nature by the operation of which upon the organs of sight, objects are rendered visible or luminous. Note: Light was regarded formerly
• RESURRECTIONIST
  One who steals bodies from the grave, as for dissection.
• CHURCHLIKE
  Befitting a church or a churchman; becoming to a clergyman. Shak.
• SPRINGBOARD
  An elastic board, secured at the ends, or at one end, often by elastic supports, used in performing feats of agility or in exercising.
• CHRISTIAN
  1. One who believes, or professes or is assumed to believe, in Jesus Christ, and the truth as taught by Him; especially, one whose inward and outward life is conformed to the doctrines of Christ. The disciples were called Christians first
• SPRINGE
  A noose fastened to an elastic body, and drawn close with a sudden spring, whereby it catches a bird or other animal; a gin; a snare. As a woodcock to mine own springe. Shak.
• HONORABLE
  1. Worthy of honor; fit to be esteemed or regarded; estimable; illustrious. Thy name and honorable family. Shak. 2. High-minded; actuated by principles of honor, or a scrupulous regard to probity, rectitude, or reputation. 3. Proceeding from an
• SPRINGAL
  An ancient military engine for casting stones and arrows by means of a spring.
• ANNUALIST
  One who writes for, or who edits, an annual.
• AFTER
  To ward the stern of the ship; -- applied to any object in the rear part of a vessel; as the after cabin, after hatchway. Note: It is often combined with its noun; as, after-bowlines, after- braces, after-sails, after-yards, those on the mainmasts
• AFTERPAINS
  The pains which succeed childbirth, as in expelling the afterbirth.
• WHENCEFORTH
  From, or forth from, what or which place; whence. Spenser.
• SPRINT
  To run very rapidly; to run at full speed. A runner should be able to sprint the whole way. Encyc. Brit. (more info) Etym:
• CHRISTEN
  1. To baptize and give a Christian name to. 2. To give a name; to denominate. "Christen the thing what you will." Bp. Burnet. 3. To Christianize. Jer. Taylor. 4. To use for the first time.
• RESURRECTION
  resurgere, resurrectum, to rise again; pref. re- re- + surgere to 1. A rising again; the resumption of vigor. 2. Especially, the rising again from the dead; the resumption of life by the dead; as, the resurrection of Jesus Christ; the
• SPRIGHTLY
  Sprightlike, or spiritlike; lively; brisk; animated; vigorous; airy; gay; as, a sprightly youth; a sprightly air; a sprightly dance. "Sprightly wit and love inspires." Dryden. The sprightly Sylvia trips along the green. Pope.
• DISPROPORTIONALLY
  In a disproportional manner; unsuitably in form, quantity, or value; unequally.
• FENCE MONTH
  the month in which female deer are fawning, when hunting is prohibited. Bullokar. -- Fence roof, a covering for defense. "They fitted their shields close to one another in manner of a fence roof." Holland. Fence time, the breeding time of fish or
• SLIGHTNESS
  The quality or state of being slight; slenderness; feebleness; superficiality; also, formerly, negligence; indifference; disregard.
• DELIGHTING
  Giving delight; gladdening. -- De*light"ing*ly, adv. Jer. Taylor.
• SEMIANNUALLY
  Every half year.
• DISPROPORTIONABLE
  Disproportional; unsuitable in form, size, quantity, or adaptation; disproportionate; inadequate. -- Dis`pro*por"tion*a*ble*ness, n. Hammond. -- Dis`pro*por"tion*a*bly, adv.
• DISPROPORTIONALITY
  The state of being disproportional. Dr. H. More.
• DRUMMOND LIGHT
  A very intense light, produced by turning two streams of gas, one oxygen and the other hydrogen, or coal gas, in a state of ignition, upon a ball of lime; or a stream of oxygen gas through a flame of alcohol upon a ball or disk of lime; -- called
• ANTICHRISTIANISM; ANTICHRISTIANITY
  Opposition or contrariety to the Christian religion.
• PROSTERNATION
  Dejection; depression. Wiseman.