4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Pentecost  \Pen"te*cost\,  n.  [L.  pentecoste,  Gr  ?  (sc.  ?)  the 
  fiftieth  day  Pentecost,  fr  ?  fiftieth,  fr  ?  fifty,  fr  ? 
  five  See  {Five},  and  cf  {Pingster}.] 
  1.  A  solemn  festival  of  the  Jews;  --  so  called  because 
  celebrated  on  the  fiftieth  day  (seven  weeks)  after  the 
  second  day  of  the  Passover  (which  fell  on  the  sixteenth  of 
  the  Jewish  month  Nisan);  --  hence  called  also  the  {Feast 
  of  Weeks}.  At  this  festival  an  offering  of  the  first 
  fruits  of  the  harvest  was  made  By  the  Jews  it  was 
  generally  regarded  as  commemorative  of  the  gift  of  the  law 
  on  the  fiftieth  day  after  the  departure  from  Egypt. 
 
  2.  A  festival  of  the  Roman  Catholic  and  other  churches  in 
  commemoration  of  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the 
  apostles;  which  occurred  on  the  day  of  Pentecost;  -- 
  called  also  {Whitsunday}.  --Shak. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  Pentecost 
  n  1:  seventh  Sunday  after  Easter;  commemorates  the  descent  of  the 
  Holy  Spirit  on  the  apostles;  a  quarter  day  in  Scotland 
  [syn:  {Pentecost},  {Whitsunday}] 
  2:  Jewish  holy  day  celebrated  on  the  sixth  of  Sivan  to 
  celebrate  Moses  receiving  the  Ten  Commandments  [syn:  {Shavous}, 
  {Shabuoth},  {Shavuoth},  {Shavuot},  {Pentecost},  {Feast  of 
  Weeks}] 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Pentecost 
  i.e.,  "fiftieth",  found  only  in  the  New  Testament  (Acts  2:1; 
  20:16;  1  Cor.  16:8).  The  festival  so  named  is  first  spoken  of  in 
  Ex  23:16  as  "the  feast  of  harvest,"  and  again  in  Ex  34:22  as 
  "the  day  of  the  firstfruits"  (Num.  28:26).  From  the  sixteenth  of 
  the  month  of  Nisan  (the  second  day  of  the  Passover),  seven 
  complete  weeks,  i.e.,  forty-nine  days,  were  to  be  reckoned,  and 
  this  feast  was  held  on  the  fiftieth  day  The  manner  in  which  it 
  was  to  be  kept  is  described  in  Lev.  23:15-19;  Num.  28:27-29. 
  Besides  the  sacrifices  prescribed  for  the  occasion,  every  one 
  was  to  bring  to  the  Lord  his  "tribute  of  a  free-will  offering" 
  (Deut.  16:9-11).  The  purpose  of  this  feast  was  to  commemorate 
  the  completion  of  the  grain  harvest.  Its  distinguishing  feature 
  was  the  offering  of  "two  leavened  loaves"  made  from  the  new  corn 
  of  the  completed  harvest,  which  with  two  lambs,  were  waved 
  before  the  Lord  as  a  thank  offering. 
 
  The  day  of  Pentecost  is  noted  in  the  Christian  Church  as  the 
  day  on  which  the  Spirit  descended  upon  the  apostles,  and  on 
  which  under  Peter's  preaching,  so  many  thousands  were  converted 
  in  Jerusalem  (Acts  2). 
 
 
  From  Hitchcock's  Bible  Names  Dictionary  (late  1800's)  [hitchcock]: 
 
  Pentecost,  fiftieth 
 

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