Celebrate

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: cel=e=brate

CIDE DICTIONARY

Celebrate, v. t. [L. celebratus, p. p. of celebrare to frequent, to celebrate, fr. celeber famous.].

•  To extol or honor in a solemn manner; as, to celebrate the name of the Most High.  [1913 Webster]
•  To honor by solemn rites, by ceremonies of joy and respect, or by refraining from ordinary business; to observe duly; to keep; as, to celebrate a birthday.  [1913 Webster]

  "From even unto even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath."  [1913 Webster]
•  To perform or participate in, as a sacrament or solemn rite; to solemnize; to perform with appropriate rites; as, to celebrate a marriage.

  "We are called upon to commemorate a revolution as surprising in its manner as happy in its consequences."  [1913 Webster]

  "Earth, water, air, and fire, with feeling glee,
  Exult to celebrate thy festival."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To commemorate; distinguish; honor.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Celebrate, v.
1 tr. mark (a festival or special event) with festivities etc.
2 tr. perform publicly and duly (a religious ceremony etc.).
3 a tr. officiate at (the Eucharist). b intr. officiate, esp. at the Eucharist.
4 intr. engage in festivities, usu. after a special event etc.
5 tr. (as celebrated adj.) publicly honoured, widely known.

Derivative

celebration n. celebrator n. celebratory adj.

Etymology

L celebrare f. celeber -bris frequented, honoured

THESAURUS

Celebrate

administer Communion, adulate, advertise, apotheosize, attend Communion, attend Mass, beat the drum, belaud, bepraise, blare, blare forth, blaze, blaze abroad, blazon, blazon about, bless, bless the Lord, blow the trumpet, blow up, boast of, brag about, broadcast, carouse, celebrate Mass, commemorate, communicate, consecrate, conventionalize, cry, cry out, cry up, cut loose, debauch, declaim, dedicate, deify, dignify, doxologize, dress ship, emblazon, eulogize, exalt, extol, fire a salute, flatter, formalize, glorify, glorify the Lord, hallow, hell around, herald, herald abroad, hero-worship, hold, hold jubilee, honor, hymn, idolize, jollify, jolly, jubilate, jubilize, keep, lark, laud, let go, let loose, let off steam, lionize, maffick, magnify, make merry, make much of, make whoopee, mark, memorialize, observe, overpraise, panegyrize, party, pay tribute, perform, porter aux nues, praise, praise God, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, puff, puff up, raise hell, receive the Sacrament, rejoice in, revel, ritualize, roister, salute, sanctify, see life, shout, signalize, sing praises, skylark, solemnize, solemnly mark, sound a fanfare, spree, step out, stylize, thunder, thunder forth, trumpet, trumpet forth, wanton, wassail, whoop it up