Chapter Holdback to Holly of H by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

2. An excavation in the ground, made by an animal to live in, or a natural cavity inhabited by an animal; hence, a low, narrow, or dark lodging or place; a mean habitation. Dryden.

The foxes have holes, . . . but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Luke ix. 58.

Syn. — Hollow; concavity; aperture; rent; fissure; crevice; orifice; interstice; perforation; excavation; pit; cave; den; cell.

Hole and corner, clandestine, underhand. [Colloq.] "The wretched trickery of hole and corner buffery." Dickens. — Hole board (Fancy Weaving), a board having holes through which cords pass which lift certain warp threads; — called also compass board.

Hole
(Hole) v. t. [AS. holian. See Hole, n.]

1. To cut, dig, or bore a hole or holes in; as, to hole a post for the insertion of rails or bars. Chapman.

2. To drive into a hole, as an animal, or a billiard ball.

Hole
(Hole), v. i. To go or get into a hole. B. Jonson.

Holethnic
(Hol*eth"nic) a. Of or pertaining to a holethnos or parent race.

The holethnic history of the Arians.

London Academy.

Holethnos
(Hol*eth"nos) n. [Holo + Gr. race.] A parent stock or race of people, not yet divided into separate branches or tribes.

Holibut
(Hol"i*but) n. (Zoöl.) See Halibut.

Holidam
(Hol"i*dam) n. [Obs.] See Halidom.

Holiday
(Hol"i*day) n. [Holy + day.]

1. A consecrated day; religious anniversary; a day set apart in honor of some person, or in commemoration of some event. See Holyday.

2. A day of exemption from labor; a day of amusement and gayety; a festival day.

And young and old come forth to play
On a sunshine holiday.

Milton.

3. (Law) A day fixed by law for suspension of business; a legal holiday.

In the United States legal holidays, so called, are determined by law, commonly by the statutes of the several States. The holidays most generally observed are: the 22d day of February the 30th day of May the 4th day of July the 25th day of December (Christmas day). In most of the States the 1st day of January is a holiday. When any of these days falls on Sunday, usually the Monday following is observed as the holiday. In many of the States a day in the spring and a day in the fall (as the last Thursday in November) are now regularly appointed by Executive proclamation to be observed, the former as a day of fasting and prayer, the latter as a day of thanksgiving and are kept as holidays. In England, the days of the greater church feasts (designated in the calendar by a red letter, and commonly called red-letter days) are observed as general holidays. Bank holidays are those on which, by act of Parliament, banks may suspend business. Although Sunday is a holiday in the sense of a day when business is legally suspended, it is not usually included in the general term, the phrase "Sundays and holidays" being more common.

The holidays, any fixed or usual period for relaxation or festivity; especially, Christmas and New Year's day with the intervening time.

Holiday
(Hol`i*day), a.