from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Christmas \Christ"mas\, n. [Christ + mass.]
An annual church festival (December 25) and in some States a
legal holiday, in memory of the birth of Christ, often
celebrated by a particular church service, and also by
special gifts, greetings, and hospitality.
[1913 Webster]
{Christmas box}.
(a) A box in which presents are deposited at Christmas.
(b) A present or small gratuity given to young people and
servants at Christmas; a Christmas gift.
{Christmas carol}, a carol sung at, or suitable for,
Christmas.
{Christmas day}. Same as {Christmas}.
{Christmas eve}, the evening before Christmas.
{Christmas fern} (Bot.), an evergreen North American fern
({Aspidium acrostichoides}), which is much used for
decoration in winter.
{Christmas flower}, {Christmas rose}, the black hellebore, a
poisonous plant of the buttercup family, which in Southern
Europe often produces beautiful roselike flowers
midwinter.
{Christmas tree}, a small evergreen tree, set up indoors, to
be decorated with bonbons, presents, etc., and illuminated
on Christmas eve.
[1913 Webster]