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# xmas

«xmas» in Mova's school dictionary: **a short way to write Christmas, the Christian festival…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (Xmas — informal short form of Christmas)

### meaning for a pupil

(informal) Xmas is a short way to write Christmas, the Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus, when many families give presents. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/X/xmas/#m1)

### sense in the lessons

Seen on cards, signs, shop windows and in text messages: «Happy Xmas», «Xmas sale». The X comes from the Greek letter chi, the first letter of Christ in Greek; it is not a modern trick. In formal writing use «Christmas».

### examples

- Merry Xmas to all our customers! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/X/xmas/#x1)
- The Xmas tree has coloured lights. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/X/xmas/#x2)
- We wrote «Happy Xmas» on our cards. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/X/xmas/#x3)
- The shop has an Xmas sale. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/X/xmas/#x4)
- What do you want for Xmas? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/X/xmas/#x5)
- Xmas holidays are the best part of winter. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/X/xmas/#x6)

### note

Usually written with a capital X: Xmas. It is said «Christmas» (or sometimes «EX-mas»). Informal; in school writing use «Christmas». Myth: Xmas does not cross Christ out; the X is the Greek letter chi.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «xmas» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/X/xmas/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.