santa claus
/,sæntə'klɔ:z/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Proper noun:
- A legendary figure associated with Christmas: Santa Claus is a mythical character traditionally believed to bring gifts to well-behaved children on Christmas Eve. He is often depicted as a jolly, plump, white-bearded man wearing a red suit with white fur trim.
Examples of Usage
- Proper noun:
- The children were excited to leave cookies and milk out for Santa Claus.
- Many stories describe Santa Claus living at the North Pole with his elves.
Advanced Usage
"Santa Claus is coming to town": A common phrase from a popular Christmas song, used to remind children that Santa is watching their behavior.
- Parents often tell their kids, "You better be good; Santa Claus is coming to town."
"To play Santa Claus": To act as or dress up as Santa Claus; figuratively, to be unexpectedly generous.
- The company CEO decided to play Santa Claus and gave everyone a holiday bonus.
Variants and Related Words
Santa (n): A common, informal shortening of "Santa Claus."
- The kids sat on Santa's lap at the mall.
Saint Nicholas (n): The historical and folkloric figure upon which the modern Santa Claus is partly based.
- Father Christmas (n): A name for the gift-bringing figure used primarily in the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries.
Synonyms
- Kris Kringle: Another name for Santa Claus.
- Saint Nick: An informal name for Santa Claus.
Related Idioms
"Like waiting for Santa Claus": Used to describe waiting for something that is highly anticipated but whose arrival is uncertain or takes a long time.
- Getting a reply from the government is like waiting for Santa Claus.
"The Santa Claus rally": A term used in finance referring to a seasonal increase in stock prices in the final week of December and the first two trading days in January.
- Investors are hopeful for a Santa Claus rally this year.
Noun
- the legendary patron saint of children; an imaginary being who is thought to bring presents to children at Christmas