Dictionary

Santa Claus en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• /ˈsæn.təˌklɔːz/ (UK)
• /ˈsæn.təˌklɔz/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈsæn.təˌklɑz/ (US)
• /ˈsæːn.təˌkloːz/ (Australia)

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch Sinterklaas (“Saint Nicholas”). Doublet of Sinterklaas.

Meanings

1. A figure said to bring presents to people (especially children) at Christmas time.
   • By 1900, department-store Santa Clauses were common – lodged in grottoes, cottages, and workshops or on thrones, they presided over a never-ending stream of children. 2005, Gerry Bowler, “Santa the Adman”, in Santa Claus: A Biography, McClelland & Stewart, →ISBN, page 142:
   • Last Monday the Anniversary of St. Nicholas, otherwise called St. A Claus, was celebrated at Protestant-Hall. 1773 December 26, New York Gazette, p. 3
   • Here, too, the winter festivals are just commencing; and the toy-shops are full of dolls and gew-gaws for the Bifana, who acts here the same comedy for children that Santiclaus does in America. 1828 November, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, letter to his mother from Italy
   • Emmeline: Oh Richard, you can't know everything. Only God knows everything. Richard: God—He can't find us any better than Santa Claus. 1980, Douglas Day Stewart, The Blue Lagoon:
   • This is one of the developments Karl Marx failed to predict. Had he foreseen it he might have expired in guffaws, rolling in the aisle of the British Museum Library amid the notes for Das Kapital, that bearded Santa Claus of the revolution who slipped the unwanted gift of communism down the world's chimneys. 1937 August, Lawrence Martin, "The Odyssey of a Bogeyman", Esquire, Vol. 8, No. 2, p. 39
   • The noted St. Nicholas, vulgarly called Santaclaus—of all the saints in the kalendar the most venerated by true hollanders, and their unsophisticated descendants. 1808 January 25, Salmagundi, p. 407
2. (broadly, figuratively) A generous source of free gifts or benefits.
   • I then probe as to whether he is waiting for some Santa Claus to make him well, strong, and happy, or whether he is waiting for rigor mortis to deliver him from his earthly troubles. 1978, Henry Grayson, Clemens A. Loew, Changing approaches to the psychotherapies, page 314:
3. A number of places in the United States. ▸ A ghost town in Mohave County, Arizona.
4. A number of places in the United States. ▸ A city in Toombs County, Georgia.
5. A number of places in the United States. ▸ A town in Spencer County, Indiana. Original name: Santa Fe.

Forms

Deriveds

Mrs Santa Claus · Mrs. Santa Claus · Santa Clausmas · Santa Claus melon · Mistress Santa Claus · Santarina · Santa · secret Santa · Santa Paws · Claus

Descendants

산타 클로스 · Са́нта-Кла́ус · Santa Claus · Са́нта-Кла́ус · サンタクロース

Relateds

Jesus · Three Wise Men · Mrs. Claus · Father Frost

Synonyms

Saint Nick · Kris Kringle · Saint Claus · Claus · Father Christmas · Sandy Claus · Santa · Mr. Claus · Saint Nicholas

Translations (145)

krl talviukko (fictional figure) · be Са́нта-Кла́ус (fictional figure) · sms rosttovkääʹlles (fictional figure) · fr Saint Nicolas (fictional figure) · nl Kerstman (fictional figure) · vo Fatül Kritid (fictional figure) · ur سانْتا کْلاز (fictional figure) · eo Kristnaska Viro (fictional figure) · da sankt Nikolaus (fictional figure) · ga San Nioclás (fictional figure) · gd Daidaín na Nollaig (fictional figure) · az Santa Klaus (fictional figure) · lv Ziemassvētku vecītis (fictional figure) · sh Deda Mraz (fictional figure) · chr ᏗᎭᏄᎧᎯ (fictional figure) · tg Бобои Барфӣ (fictional figure) · nb julenisse (fictional figure) · my ဆန်တာကလော့စ် (fictional figure) · vi ông già Nô en (fictional figure) · it Babbo Natale (fictional figure) · ja サンタクロース (fictional figure) · af Kersvader (fictional figure) · uk Дід Моро́з (fictional figure) · fo jólamaður (fictional figure) · lo ຊານຕາ ຄລອດສ (fictional figure) · vi ông già Santa (fictional figure) · hy Ձմեռ Պապ (fictional figure) · de Christkind (fictional figure) · ka თოვლის ბაბუა (fictional figure) · mhr Йӱштӧ Кугыза (fictional figure) · bg Дя́до Мраз (fictional figure) · ru Санта-Кла́ус (fictional figure) · ta கிறித்துமசு தாத்தா (fictional figure) · ab Аҵаа Бабаду (fictional figure) · hi सांता क्लॉज़ (fictional figure) · it Padre Natale (fictional figure) · br Tad Kozh ar Pellgent (fictional figure) · ro Moș Crăciun (fictional figure) · es Viejito Pascuero (fictional figure) · ar بَابَا نُوِيل (fictional figure) · km តាណូអែល (fictional figure) · sv julgubben (fictional figure) · ru Дед Моро́з (fictional figure) · uz Qorbobo (fictional figure) · uk Святи́й Микола́й (fictional figure) · kk Аяз ата (fictional figure) · ms Santa Claus (fictional figure) · es Papá Noel (fictional figure) · mn Санта Клаус (fictional figure) · ota نوئل بابا (fictional figure) · fr Père Noël (fictional figure) · cmn 耶誕老人 /耶诞老人 (fictional figure) · mhr Йӱштӧ кугыза (fictional figure) · cs Ježíšek (fictional figure) · si නත්තල් සීය (fictional figure) · sco Santae Claus (fictional figure) · haw Kanakaloka (fictional figure) · gl Papá Noel (fictional figure) · sk Mikuláš (fictional figure) · eo Avo Frosto (fictional figure) · tr Noel Baba (fictional figure) · ga Saintí (fictional figure) · ko 산타 클로스 (fictional figure) · cs Santa Claus (fictional figure) · nrf Papa Noué (fictional figure) · th ซานตาคลอส (fictional figure) · cy Siôn Corn (fictional figure) · fi joulupukki (fictional figure) · mk Дедо Мраз (fictional figure) · is jólasveinninn (fictional figure) · oj Gaamiisaagdooned-mishomis (fictional figure) · nl Sint-Nicolaas (fictional figure) · el Άγιος Βασίλης (fictional figure) · ba Ҡыш бабай (fictional figure) · az Ayaz Ata (fictional figure) · vi ông già Noel (fictional figure) · eo Sankta Nikolao (fictional figure) · ta நத்தார் தாத்தா (fictional figure) · cy Santa Clos (fictional figure) · kl juulimaaq (fictional figure) · hu Mikulás (fictional figure) · ca Pare Noel (fictional figure) · uk Са́нта-Кла́ус (fictional figure) · et Jõuluvana (fictional figure) · sl Božiček (fictional figure) · ta சாண்டா குலோஸ் (fictional figure) · ka თოვლის პაპა (fictional figure) · br Tad Kozh an Nedeleg (fictional figure) · sv jultomten (fictional figure) · gd Bodach na Nollaige (fictional figure) · he סַנְטָה קְלָאוּס (fictional figure) · it Papà Natale (fictional figure) · de Weihnachtsmann (fictional figure) · gu નાતાલ દાદા (fictional figure) · fa-ira بابانوئِل (fictional figure) · nan-hbl 聖誕老人 /圣诞老人 (fictional figure) · ota نوئل پدر (fictional figure) · id Sinterklas (fictional figure) · sv tomten (fictional figure) · ka სანტა კლაუსი (fictional figure) · krl pakkaisukko (fictional figure) · th ซานตา (fictional figure) · be Дзед Маро́з (fictional figure) · sco Faither Yuil (fictional figure) · gv Noo Niglus (fictional figure) · pl Święty Mikołaj (fictional figure) · kw Tas Nadelik (fictional figure) · zea Sinterklaos (fictional figure) · pt Pai Natal (fictional figure) · lt kalėdų senelis (fictional figure) · ht Tonton Nwèl (fictional figure) · af Vader Kersfees (fictional figure) · nv Késhmish Hastiin (fictional figure) · nl Sinterklaas (fictional figure) · ms Bapa Krismas (fictional figure) · hi सांता क्लॉस (fictional figure) · mt Santa Klaws (fictional figure) · pt Papai Noel (fictional figure) · ur سانْتا کِلاز (fictional figure) · uz Santa Klaus (fictional figure) · mi Hana Kōkō (fictional figure) · hy Կաղանդ Պապ (fictional figure) · de Nikolaus (fictional figure) · mn Өвлийн өвгөн (fictional figure) · fa-ira بابا نوئِل (fictional figure) · tl Santa-Klaus (fictional figure) · es San Nicolás (fictional figure) · pdt Wienachtsmaun (fictional figure) · es Santa Claus (fictional figure) · ota پدر نوئل (fictional figure) · da julemanden (fictional figure) · az Şaxta baba (fictional figure) · uz Avliyo Nikolas (fictional figure) · la pater natālis (fictional figure) · la Sānctus Nīcholāus (fictional figure) · kk Санта-Клаус (fictional figure) · de Samichlaus (fictional figure) · bg Дя́до Коледа (fictional figure) · yue 聖誕老人 /圣诞老人 (fictional figure) · sh Деда Мраз (fictional figure) · fr Papa Noël (fictional figure) · am የገና አባት (fictional figure) · cmn 聖誕老人 /圣诞老人 (fictional figure) · sq Baba Dimri (fictional figure) · ga Daidí na Nollag (fictional figure)