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X·mas

(krĭsməs, ĕksməs)

Christmas.

[From X, the Greek letter chi, first letter of Greek Khrīstos, Christ; see CHRIST.]

Usage Note: The pronunciation (ĕksməs) is the result of a misinterpretation of the abbreviation Xmas, where the X actually represents a Greek chi, the first letter of Khrīstos, "Christ." This pronunciation is informal.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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