n.
Pronunciation: väl- ' pu ̇ r-g ə s-
Function: noun
Etymology: part translation of German Walpurgisnacht, from Walpurgis Saint Walburga † A.D. 779 English saint whose feast day falls on May Day + German Nacht night
Date: 1823
1 : the eve of May Day on which witches are held to ride to an appointed rendezvous
2 : something (as an event or situation) having a nightmarish quality