DCHP-2

holiday DCHP-2 (May 2016)

• n.

  a vacation from work or school for a limited period.

  Type: 5. Frequency — Often used in the phrase "on holiday" or "on holidays" (see the 1977 and 1997 quotations), the term is marked "chiefly British" by W-3, s.v. "holiday" (2c), and AHD-5, s.v. "holiday" (3)). This particular sense of the term holiday as a synonym for "vacation" is a semantic change from 'a consecrated day, a religious festival' or a 'holy day' (see OED-3, s.v. "holiday" (1)). As seen in Chart 1, the term appears to be used most frequently in Canada, while it is rare in the US. On account of this frequency differential it can be considered Canadian in the North American context.
  See also COD-2, s.v. "holiday" (2), which is marked "esp. Cdn, Brit., Austral. & NZ ".

  • This term is often used in the plural form.