Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Easter \Eas"ter\, n. [AS. e['a]ster, e['a]stran, paschal feast,
   Easter; akin to G. ostern; fr. AS. E['a]stre, a goddess of
   light or spring, in honor of whom a festival was celebrated
   in April; whence this month was called in AS.
   E['a]sterm[=o]na[eth]. From the root of E. east. See {East}.]
   1. An annual church festival commemorating Christ's
      resurrection, and occurring on Sunday, the second day
      after Good Friday. It corresponds to the pasha or passover
      of the Jews, and most nations still give it this name
      under the various forms of pascha, pasque, p[^a]que, or
      pask.

   2. The day on which the festival is observed; Easter day.

   Note: Easter is used either adjectively or as the first
         element of a compound; as, Easter day or Easter-day,
         Easter Sunday, Easter week, Easter gifts.

               Sundays by thee more glorious break, An Easter
               day in every week.                 --Keble.

   Note: Easter day, on which the rest of the movable feasts
         depend, is always the first Sunday after the fourteenth
         day of the calendar moon which (fourteenth day) falls
         on, or next after, the 21st of March, according to the
         rules laid down for the construction of the calendar;
         so that if the fourteenth day happen on a Sunday,
         Easter day is the Sunday after. --Eng. Cyc.

   {Easter dues} (Ch. of Eng.), money due to the clergy at
      Easter, formerly paid in communication of the tithe for
      personal labor and subject to exaction. For Easter dues,
      Easter offerings, voluntary gifts, have been substituted.
      

   {Easter egg}.
      (a) A painted or colored egg used as a present at Easter.
      (b) An imitation of an egg, in sugar or some fine
          material, sometimes made to serve as a box for jewelry
          or the like, used as an Easter present.