Weekend Meaning
/wiːˈkɛnd/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe break in the working week, usually two days including the traditional holy or sabbath day. Thus in Western countries, Saturday and Sunday.
verbTo spend the weekend.
Sentence Examples
She got sick this weekend.
It is out of the question for you to go to New York this weekend.
I have to write an essay this weekend.
CEFR Practice Quiz
I enjoy relaxing on ____, when I don't have to go to work.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
What are you planning to do this ____ after you finish your work at the office on Friday afternoon today?
Word Origin & History
From week + end. Originally a Northern England regionalism (see 1903 quotation), in more general use from late 19th century. Compare Saterland Frisian Wiekeneende (“weekend”), West Frisian wykein (“weekend”), Dutch weekeinde (“weekend”), German Low German Wekenenn (“weekend”), German Wochenende (“weekend”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"“They can live upon barley-meal without a morsel of meat from week-end to week-end, can these miserable Sawnies,” quoth another."
— 1874 July–December, W. Senior, “With the Herring Fleet”, in The Gentleman's Magazine, page 704:
"[…] often took a few boys down there for what we North Country folk call the week-end — Saturday and Sunday; it was also used as a sanatorium if required."
— 1903, Francis Markham with Sir Clements Robert Markham, Recollections of a town boy at Westminster, 1849–1855, page 34:
"I love a phrase of Dizzy's in one of his later letters to Lady Bradford, whom he reproaches for her addiction to what we now call week-end visits to country houses: “the monotony of organized platitude.”"
— 1921 June 21, The Earl of Oxford and Asquith, K.G., chapter XX, in Memories and Reflections 1852–1927, volume 2, Cassell and Company, published 1928, →OCLC, page 197:
"Yes. Though based on my thorough sampling of the trend, cold pork pies are tragically absent from girl dinner plates. Perhaps because, as noted by many TikTok users – and over the weekend both Today and the New York Times – many of these girl dinners are “suspiciously low cal”."
— 2023 July 10, Alyx Gorman, Yvonne C Lam, “Explain it to me quickly: What is a TikTok ‘girl dinner’ and should I eat one tonight?”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 01 Aug 2023, retrieved 10 Jul 2023:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
I enjoy relaxing on ____, when I don't have to go to work.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
What are you planning to do this ____ after you finish your work at the office on Friday afternoon today?