Pentecost

noun

Pen·​te·​cost ˈpen-ti-ˌkȯst 

-ˌkäst

1

: shavuot

2

: a Christian feast on the seventh Sunday after Easter commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles

called also Whitsunday

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English pentecosten, from Late Latin pentecoste, from Greek pentēkostē, literally, fiftieth day, from pentēkostos fiftieth, from pentēkonta fifty, from penta- + -konta (akin to Latin viginti twenty) — more at vigesimal

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

Pentecost

noun

Pen·​te·​cost ˈpent-i-ˌkȯst 

-ˌkäst

1

: shabuoth

2

: the seventh Sunday after Easter observed as a Christian church festival in memory of the appearance of the Holy Spirit to the apostles

Pentecostal

ˌpent-i-ˈkäs-tᵊl

-ˈkȯs-

adjective or noun

Geographical Definition

Pentecost

geographical name

Pen·​te·​cost ˈpen-ti-ˌkȯst 

-ˈkäst

island of Vanuatu in the southwestern Pacific population 31,500