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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

Claus en · PROPN

Etymology

From Dutch and German Claus, a contraction of Nicolaus (“Nicholas”). The spelling Klaus is from more modern German Klaus and other Germanic languages.

Meanings

  1. A male given name from Dutch or from German [in turn from Ancient Greek].
  2. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of Santa Claus.
    • Wouldn’t it be great if we taught our children about Christ instead of Claus: […] 1971 December 22, Dale T. Craig, “True Story of Clausmas”, in Daily Chronicle, 71st year, number 296, DeKalb, Ill., →OCLC, page 10, column 5:
    • The cause of Claus’ incident — perhaps morning fog, wind or faulty directions to the North Pole — remains unclear. 2020 December 21, Faith E. Pinho, “Santa Claus got run over by a power line in Sacramento”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 Dec 2020:
    • More exacting standards for Claus have been set up each year. It was to meet these standards that Mr. Howard—farmer, toy manufacturer, reviver of county fairs and connoisseur of Santa Clauses—set up his school. 1941 December 7, Leonard Allen, “Stand-ins for St. Nick”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 Dec 2025:
    • For nearly 30 years, Santa has traveled past every house in town. 1992 December 11, Bob Pool, “Touch of Claus : Santa Visits Every Child in Lawndale as He Has Done for Nearly 30 Years”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 Dec 2025:
  3. Fictitious surname of Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus.
    • The large family room on the first floor was where the Claus family spent afternoons when they were in the castle, and today it was the room where my mother-in-law was holding court for a lot of our family, both close and distant. 2022, Liz Ireland, Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves, Kensington Books, →ISBN:
    • The Clauses and the elves sit down to dine on a Christmas breakfast tasting so yummy and right that Santa stops between bites and praises his wife: “This is delicious! You must have been cooking all night!” 2019, Julie Christianson, Alayna Denison, Mrs. Claus Goes Country, Xlibris, →ISBN:
    • Branson was Branson, Missouri, where you could find the world’s biggest Santa Claus convention with over seven hundred professional Santas, Mrs Clauses and helpers hanging out together for a five-day convention. ‘A Santa convention?’ ‘Oh yes,’ said Mrs Claus and Mr Claus echoed his agreement. 2020, William McInnes, Christmas Tales, Hachette, →ISBN:
    • Klaus came first. He was fourteen, the oldest of the Clauses’ four children. We all knew he would inherit the title of Santa one day—he always dressed in red-and-white suits to make sure we never forgot. 2017, Caleb Zane Huett, Top Elf, Scholastic Press, →ISBN:
    • In Merry in Laws (2012), scientist Alex (Kassia Warshawski) introduces her parents to her fiancé, Peter (Lucas Bryant), and his parents, Santa Claus (George Wendt) and Mrs. Claus (Shelley Long). Alex’s father, Steven (Greg Lawson), comments derisively about the Clauses: “These people are light years away from who we are,” implying, seemingly, that he considers the Clauses as intellectually (if not also psychologically) inferior. 2018, Lauren Rosewarne, Analyzing Christmas in Film: Santa to the Supernatural, Lexington Books, →ISBN, page 273:
    • Arthur lives at the North Pole. His dad is Santa Claus. His granddad used to be Santa Claus before his dad became Santa Claus. […] But along for the ride is Grandpa Claus (who’s 136 years old and he is retired). 2017, Philip Morency, On the Aisle, Volume 3: Film Reviews by Philip Morency, Pittsburgh, Pa.: RoseDog Books, →ISBN, page 18:
    • […] bringing you a merry Christmas program right from the North Pole where the Claus family holds court […] Santa Claus in person, Mrs. Claus, and Little Claus. 1951, Edna M. Cahill, editor, The Jumbo Christmas Book, page 132:
    • As Cory and Suzy hurried down the steps to greet the Clauses, the elves were rolling up the legs of their pants and running down to the water’s edge. Santa and Mrs. Claus laughed when they saw them and were still chuckling as they started toward the house. 2014, E[lizabeth] D[awson] Baker, The Fairy-Tale Matchmaker, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, →ISBN:
  4. A surname from Dutch or from German [in turn from Ancient Greek].
    • According to Cindy Claus, head aquarist at Jenkinson’s, the arrival of the 29-inch juvenile Sandtiger shark marks the completion of the aquarium’s effort to replace the animals lost last month. […] Ms. Claus said the two Nurse sharks were placed in the exhibit tank the Thursday before Memorial Day Weekend so visitors to the aquarium over the busy weekend would have something to see. 2004 June 11, Katelyn Hayes, “Six new sharks find a home at Jenkinson’s Aquarium”, in The Ocean Star, volume 4, number 7, Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., page 6, column 3:
    • Natasha Claus, 36, arrived at court four hours late and appeared before Judge Peter Ross, who jailed her immediately and imposed a criminal behaviour order which means she has been barred from the entire town of Woking, Surrey. […] He sent repeat offender Claus to jail for 13 months for a string of offences including breaching a previous suspended jail term. […] Prosecutor John Upton said: 'The police believe that Ms Claus has a habit of befriending vulnerable men and taking advantage of them. 2017 December 28, Alexander Robertson, “Woman who was caught riding naked on a motorcycle, performing a sex act in front of horrified high street shoppers and punching a blind man is jailed for 13 months”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 Dec 2017:
    • Life has grown easier for Santa Michael Claus, a 44-year-old technician with the Southwestern Bell Corporation in Dallas. In his youth, he shied away from his name, red suits, beards and children carrying wish lists. That has all changed. "I enjoy it -- it's fun to be a little bit of a name this time of year," said Mr. Claus, who explains to children that he is not the real Santa, just his namesake. 1991 December 26, “Dallas Man Finds Christmas Spirit Has His Name”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 May 2015:
    • The best fiction about World War II has come from the home front, from those who were children in 1939, not quite innocent bystanders, like Gunter Grass and Christa Wolf and now Hugo Claus, the leading writer of the Netherlands and Flemish-speaking Belgium. […] Mr. Claus's wonderful novel is a chronicle of war in a corner of one small country and a painstaking portrait of the artist as an obnoxious young man. 1990 July 1, Suzanne Ruta, “The Artist Is a Pest”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 May 2015:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
Clauses Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

Mr. Claus · Ms. Claus · Saint Claus · Clausmas · Mrs. Claus

Relateds

Klaus · Santa Claus

Translations (7)

cmn 克勞斯 /克劳斯 (male given name) · fa کلاوس (male given name) · fr Nico (male given name) · eo Niĉjo (male given name) · sv Klas (male given name) · bg Клаус (male given name) · fa کلاوز (male given name)