Va-cā'tion, n.

n. [Fr. vacation, Pr. vacatio, Sp. vacacion, It. vacazione, Lat. vacatio, a being free from a duty, service, &c., from vacare. See supra.]

1Sense 1. The act of vacating, making void, or of no force; as, the vacation of a charter.

2Sense 2. Freedom from interruption, trouble, or perplexity; leisure. [Rare.]

So taken up with what they endured, they had no vacation largely to relate their own or others' sufferings. Fuller.

3Sense 3. Intermission of a stated employment, procedure, or office; intermission; rest.

It was not his nature, however, at least till years had chastened it, . . . to take any vacation from controversy. Palfrey. Hence, specifically, (a.) (Law.) Intermission of judicial proceedings; the space of time between the end of one term and the beginning of the next; non-term. “With lawyers in the vacation.” Shak. (b.) The intermission of the regular studies and exercises of a college or other seminary, when the students have a recess; as, the spring vacation; the fall vacation. (c.) The time when a see or other spiritual dignity is vacant.