Hypertext Webster Gateway: "easter"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Easter
originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the
Saxons, in honour of whom sacrifices were offered about the time
of the Passover. Hence the name came to be given to the festival
of the Resurrection of Christ, which occured at the time of the
Passover. In the early English versions this word was frequently
used as the translation of the Greek pascha (the Passover). When
the Authorized Version (1611) was formed, the word "passover"
was used in all passages in which this word pascha occurred,
except in Act 12:4. In the Revised Version the proper word,
"passover," is always used.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Easter \Eas"ter\, n. [AS. e['a]ster, e['a]stran, paschal feast,
Easter; akin to G. ostern; fr. AS. E['a]stre, a goddess of
light or spring, in honor of whom a festival was celebrated
in April; whence this month was called in AS.
E['a]sterm[=o]na[eth]. From the root of E. east. See {East}.]
1. An annual church festival commemorating Christ's
resurrection, and occurring on Sunday, the second day
after Good Friday. It corresponds to the pasha or passover
of the Jews, and most nations still give it this name
under the various forms of pascha, pasque, p[^a]que, or
pask.
2. The day on which the festival is observed; Easter day.
Note: Easter is used either adjectively or as the first
element of a compound; as, Easter day or Easter-day,
Easter Sunday, Easter week, Easter gifts.
Sundays by thee more glorious break, An Easter
day in every week. --Keble.
Note: Easter day, on which the rest of the movable feasts
depend, is always the first Sunday after the fourteenth
day of the calendar moon which (fourteenth day) falls
on, or next after, the 21st of March, according to the
rules laid down for the construction of the calendar;
so that if the fourteenth day happen on a Sunday,
Easter day is the Sunday after. --Eng. Cyc.
{Easter dues} (Ch. of Eng.), money due to the clergy at
Easter, formerly paid in communication of the tithe for
personal labor and subject to exaction. For Easter dues,
Easter offerings, voluntary gifts, have been substituted.
{Easter egg}.
(a) A painted or colored egg used as a present at Easter.
(b) An imitation of an egg, in sugar or some fine
material, sometimes made to serve as a box for jewelry
or the like, used as an Easter present.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Easter \East"er\, v. i. (Naut.)
To veer to the east; -- said of the wind. --Russell.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
Easter
n 1: a Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ;
celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon
after the vernal equinox [syn: {Easter}]
2: a wind from the east [syn: {east wind}, {easterly}]
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