1 [U] (also holidays [pl.]) (both BrE) (AmE vacation) a period of time when you are not at work or school:
the school / summer / Christmas holidays * I'm afraid Mr Walsh is away on holiday this week. * The package includes 20 days' paid holiday a year. * holiday pay * a holiday job (= done by students during the school holidays)
2 [C] (BrE) (AmE vacation) a period of time spent travelling or resting away from home:
a camping / skiing / walking holiday * an adventure holiday * a family / foreign holiday * a holiday cottage / home / resort * the holiday industry * a holiday atmosphere / romance * Where are you going for your holidays this year? * a two-week holiday in the sun * They met while on holiday in Greece. * I haven't had a decent holiday for years.
seealsoBUSMAN'SHOLIDAY, PACKAGETOUR
3 [C] a day when most people do not go to work or school, especially because of a religious or national celebration:
a national holiday * Today is a holiday in Wales.
seealsoBANKHOLIDAY, PUBLICHOLIDAY
4 (holidays) [pl.] (AmE) the time in December and early January that includes Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year:
Happy Holidays!
IDIOMS see HIGHadj.
verb (BrE) (AmE vacation) [V] to spend a holiday somewhere:
She was holidaying with her family in Ireland. * We often holidayed together.
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BRITISH/AMERICAN
holiday / vacation
You use holiday (or holidays) in BrE and vacation in AmE to describe the regular periods of time when you are not at work or school, or time that you spend travelling or resting away from home: I get four weeks' holiday/vacation a year. * He's on holiday/vacation this week. * I like to take my holiday/vacation in the winter. * the summer holidays/vacation.
In AmE a holiday (or a public holiday) is a single day when government offices, schools, banks and businesses are closed: The school will be closed Monday because it's a holiday. This is called a bank holiday in BrE.
The holidays is used in AmE to refer to the time in late December and early January that includes Christmas, Hanukkah and the New Year.
Vacation in BrE is used mainly to mean one of the periods when universities are officially closed for the students.
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