Halloween

noun

Hal·​low·​een ˌha-lə-ˈwēn  ˌhä- 

variants or less commonly Hallowe'en

: October 31 observed especially with dressing up in disguise, trick-or-treating, and displaying jack-o'-lanterns during the evening

Examples of Halloween in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The solving of the murder is quite straightforward, particularly after last week’s merry-go-round of visits to places Mac visited on Halloween night. —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024

Read Next: Iowa Farmer Takes a Break from Combining to Tag a 30-Point Behemoth Buck Halloween morning was cool and bright, and there was good wind for hunting that afternoon. —Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024

During the Halloween Nightmares episode last week, there was a shocking elimination after a fan-favorite couple went home despite winning their dance-off and receiving a high score. —Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 6 Nov. 2024

Last week’s theme, Halloween Nightmares Night, saw the seven remaining couples deliver standout routines to spooky tunes. —Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

short for All Hallow Even (All Saints' Eve)

First Known Use

circa 1700, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Halloween

noun

Hal·​low·​een ˌhal-ə-ˈwēn  ˌhäl- 

: October 31 celebrated especially by wearing costumes, trick-or-treating, and displaying jack-o'-lanterns

Etymology

an altered form of All Hallow Even, the eve of All Saints' Day

Word Origin

Modern-day Christians know the first of November as All Saints' Day. In the Middle Ages it was called All Hallow Day. This was a hallowed or holy day celebrated in honor of all the saints in heaven. Since November 1 was a special holy day with a special name, the day before it had a special name as well. October 31 was called All Hallow Eve or All Hallow Even. The words eve and even were used both for the evening and the day before a special day. This name was sometimes written All Hallow E'en and later shortened to Halloween.