: a Christian feast on the seventh Sunday after Easter commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles
called alsoWhitsunday
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of Pentecost was before the 12th century