I. hol ‧ i ‧ day 1 S1 W2 /ˈhɒlədi, ˈhɒlɪdi, -deɪ $ ˈhɑːlədeɪ/ BrE AmE noun
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: haligdæg 'holy day' ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] British English ( also holidays ) a time of rest from work, school etc SYN vacation American English :
The school holidays start tomorrow.
on holiday
I’m away on holiday until the 1st of June.
in the holidays
He came to stay with us in the school holidays.
holiday from
a holiday from her usual responsibilities
REGISTER
In everyday British English, when someone is temporarily away from their work or studies, people often say they are off , rather than on holiday . Note, however, that off can also mean that someone is away from their work or studies because they are sick:
▪
‘Where’s Kate?’ ‘She’s off this week.’
2 . [uncountable and countable] British English ( also holidays ) a period of time when you travel to another place for pleasure SYN vacation American English :
We’re going to Spain for our holidays.
on holiday
He caught malaria while on holiday in Africa.
I haven’t had a proper holiday for two years.
3 . [countable] a day fixed by law on which people do not have to go to work or school:
The 4th of July is a national holiday in the US.
4 . the holiday season ( also the holidays )
a) American English the period between Thanksgiving and New Year
b) British English the period in the summer when most people take a holiday
⇨ ↑ bank holiday , ↑ public holiday
• • •
GRAMMAR
Holidays is usually used after 'the', 'my', 'your' etc when it refers to a single period when you are travelling or are not working or studying:
▪
Soon it will be the holidays.
▪
Where do you want to go for your holidays?
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ verbs
▪ go on holiday
The children were excited about going on holiday.
▪ have/take a holiday
Teachers cannot take holidays during term time.
▪ book a holiday
I booked the holiday online.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + holiday
▪ a skiing/camping/walking etc holiday
They went on a camping holiday in France.
▪ a package holiday (=a holiday in which you pay a price that includes travel, room, and food)
The company organizes package holidays to Spain and Greece.
▪ a summer holiday
They were going to a house on the coast for their summer holidays.
▪ a winter holiday
Why not try a winter holiday for a change?
▪ a family holiday
I first visited Orkney on a family holiday when I was a boy.
▪ an annual holiday (=a holiday you take every year)
We were getting ready for our annual holiday in Cornwall.
▪ your dream holiday (=the best holiday you can imagine)
They won a dream holiday for two to the Caribbean.
■ holiday + NOUN
▪ a holiday resort (=a place with many hotels where a lot of people go on holiday)
a holiday resort in Spain
▪ a holiday destination (=a town or country where a lot of people go on holiday)
Marmaris is one of Turkey's most popular holiday destinations.
▪ a holiday brochure (=a magazine that shows what holidays you can take)
We were looking through holiday brochures thinking about the summer.
▪ holiday photos ( also holiday snaps informal ) (=photographs that you take when you are on holiday)
Do you want to see our holiday snaps?
▪ a holiday romance (=a brief romantic relationship with someone you meet on holiday)
It was just a holiday romance; I never saw him again.
▪ a holiday abroad (=a holiday in a country other than the one you live in)
They were planning a holiday abroad that year.
■ phrases
▪ the holiday of a lifetime (=a very good or expensive holiday that you will only take once)
We took the family on a holiday of a lifetime to Orlando, Florida.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ vacation especially American English , holiday especially British English time you spend away from school or work:
Are you taking a vacation this summer?
|
We met on holiday in Cyprus.
|
What are you doing in the school holidays?
▪ holiday a day that is set by law, when no one has to go to work or school:
the Thanksgiving holiday
|
New Year's Day is a national holiday.
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In 2002, there was an extra public holiday to mark the Queen's golden jubilee.
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the August bank holiday (=day when all the banks and shops are closed – used in British English)
▪ break a time when you stop working or studying in order to rest, or a short vacation from school:
a ten-minute coffee break
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Lots of college kids come to the beaches during the spring break.
▪ leave a time when you are allowed not to work:
We get four weeks' annual leave (=paid time off work each year) .
|
He has been taking a lot of sick leave (=time off work because you are ill) recently.
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Angela is on maternity leave (= time off work when having a baby) .
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He was given compassionate leave (=time off work because someone close to you has died, is very ill etc) to go to his father's funeral.
▪ sabbatical [usually singular] a period when someone, especially a teacher, stops doing their usual work in order to study or travel:
She was on sabbatical for six months.
|
I'm thinking of taking a sabbatical.
▪ furlough a period of time when a soldier or someone working in another country can return to their own country as a holiday:
While on furlough, he and his girlfriend got married.
▪ R & R (rest and relaxation) a holiday, especially one given to people in the army, navy etc after a long period of hard work or during a war:
Soldiers in Vietnam were taken to Hawaii for R & R.
II. holiday 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
British English to spend your holiday in a place – used especially in news reports SYN vacation American English
holiday in/at
They’re holidaying in Majorca.