Word
noel
Phoneticsnoel
US/noʊˈɛɫ/
UK/nˈəʊl/
Definitions
01Christmas
n. an old or poetic word for Christmas.
n. the festival of Christmas. Often used in literary or religious contexts to evoke a traditional atmosphere.
“The old cards were decorated with gold letters wishing everyone a happy Noel.”
“The poet used the term Noel to evoke a sense of ancient tradition that modern celebrations often lack.”
Literary · Archaic
Usage
Usually capitalized when referring to the holiday itself.
Synonyms
02a Christmas song
n. a Christmas carol or religious song about the birth of Jesus.
n. a Christmas carol or hymn, specifically one of medieval origin or written in a traditional style.
“The choir sang a beautiful Noel during the midnight service.”
“The program featured several French noels arranged for a modern chamber orchestra.”
Usage
Can be used as a common noun (a noel) or capitalized in titles.
Etymology
From Middle English Nowel, borrowed from Old French Noel (“Christmas”), from Latin nātālis [diēs Dominī] (“birth[day of the Lord]”). Doublet of natal and Natal.
* (names): From Noel in the sense of Christmas; given since Middle Ages to children born at Christmastide. * (city in Missouri): Named for brothers Clark Wallace and William Jasper Noel, stockmen and owners of a sawmill. * (community of Nova Scotia, Canada): Named after its most prominent resident, Noël Doiron.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/noel