day
Other forms: days
A day is a 24-hour period, or the length of time it takes the Earth to rotate fully on its axis. There are 365 days in a year, and 31 days in the month of January.
Most work weeks last five days, and an ordinary weekend gives you two days of freedom before you go back to work or school. Day can also mean the opposite of night, or the time when the sun is up and you're awake. If your grandpa starts his stories with, "Back in my day..." he means an era or a period of time in the past. The Old English root, dæg, means both "day" and "lifetime."
Definitions of day
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time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis“two days later they left”“they put on two performances every day”“there are 30,000 passengers per day”
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tomorrow
the day after today
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today
the day that includes the present moment (as opposed to yesterday or tomorrow)
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yesterday
the day immediately before today
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morrow
the next day
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eve
the day before
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date, day of the month
the specified day of the month
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date
a particular day specified as the time something happens
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due date, maturity, maturity date
the date on which an obligation must be repaid
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future date
a particular day in the future that is specified as the time something will happen
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rain date
an alternative date set for some outdoor event in case it rains on the appointed date
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sell-by date
a date stamped on perishable produce indicating the date by which it should be sold
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birthday, natal day
the date on which a person was born
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type of:
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time unit, unit of time
a unit for measuring time periods
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the period of time taken by a particular planet (e.g. Mars) to make a complete rotation on its axis“how long is a day on Jupiter?”
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types:
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lunar day
the period of time taken for the moon to make one full rotation on its axis (about 27.3 sidereal days)
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type of:
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period, period of time, time period
an amount of time
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lunar day
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the time for one complete rotation of the earth relative to a particular star, about 4 minutes shorter than a mean solar day
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synonyms:
sidereal day
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type of:
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time unit, unit of time
a unit for measuring time periods
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sidereal time
measured by the diurnal motion of stars
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time unit, unit of time
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the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside“the dawn turned night into day”
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afternoon
the part of the day between noon and evening
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midafternoon
the middle part of the afternoon
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eve, even, evening, eventide
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
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guest night
an evening when members of a club or college can bring their friends as guests
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type of:
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period, period of time, time period
an amount of time
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the recurring hours when you are not sleeping (especially those when you are working)“my day began early this morning”“it was a busy day on the stock exchange”“she called it a day and went to bed”
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types:
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workday, working day
the amount of time that a worker must work for an agreed daily wage
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type of:
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work time
a time period when you are required to work
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workday, working day
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some point or period in time“it should arrive any day now”“after that day she never trusted him again”“those were the days”“these days it is not unusual”
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types:
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Day of Judgement, Day of Judgment, Doomsday, Judgement Day, Judgment Day, Last Day, Last Judgement, Last Judgment, crack of doom, day of reckoning, doomsday, end of the world, eschaton
(New Testament) day at the end of time following Armageddon when God will decree the fates of all individual humans according to the good and evil of their earthly lives
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off-day
a day when things go poorly
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type of:
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time
an indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities)
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Day of Judgement, Day of Judgment, Doomsday, Judgement Day, Judgment Day, Last Day, Last Judgement, Last Judgment, crack of doom, day of reckoning, doomsday, end of the world, eschaton
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a day assigned to a particular purpose or observance
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Admission Day
in some states of the United States: a legal holiday commemorating the day the state was admitted to the Union
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Arbor Day
a day designated for planting trees
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Cinco de Mayo
the fifth of May which is observed in Mexico and Mexican-American communities in the United States to commemorate the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862
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commencement day, degree day
the day on which university degrees are conferred
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November 5
anniversary of the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot
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Inauguration Day, January 20
the day designated for inauguration of the United States President
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February 29, bissextile day, leap day
the name of the day that is added during a leap year
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V-day, Victory Day
the day of a victory
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rag day
a day on which university students hold a rag
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red-letter day
a memorably happy or noteworthy day (from the custom of marking holy days in red on church calendars)
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payday
the day on which you receive pay for your work
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election day, polling day
the day appointed for an election; in the United States it is the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November
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field day
a day for outdoor athletic competition
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field day
(military) a day for military exercises and display
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ides
in the Roman calendar: the 15th of March or May or July or October or the 13th of any other month
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market day
a fixed day for holding a public market
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Walpurgis Night
eve of May Day
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December 31, New Year's Eve
the last day of the year
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January 19, Lee's Birthday, Robert E Lee Day, Robert E Lee's Birthday
celebrated in southern United States
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Tet
the New Year in Vietnam; observed for three days after the first full moon after January 20th
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holiday
a day on which work is suspended by law or custom
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February 2, Groundhog Day
if the ground hog emerges and sees his shadow on this day, there will be 6 more weeks of winter
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February 12, Lincoln's Birthday
the day on which President Abraham Lincoln is remembered
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February 14, Saint Valentine's Day, St Valentine's Day, Valentine Day, Valentine's Day
a day for the exchange of tokens of affection
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February 22, Washington's Birthday
the day on which George Washington is remembered
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March 2, Texas Independence Day
Texans celebrate the anniversary of Texas' declaration of independence from Mexico in 1836
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March 17, Saint Patrick's Day, St Patrick's Day
a day observed by the Irish to commemorate the patron saint of Ireland
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All Fools' day, April Fools', April Fools' day
the first day of April which is celebrated by playing practical jokes
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April 14, Pan American Day
a day celebrating political and economic unity among American countries
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Patriot's Day
the 3rd Monday in April; Massachusetts and Maine celebrate the battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775
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First of May, May 1, May Day
observed in many countries to celebrate the coming of spring; observed in Russia and related countries in honor of labor
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Mother's Day
second Sunday in May
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Armed Forces Day
the 3rd Saturday in May
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Davis' Birthday, Jefferson Davis' Birthday, June 3
celebrated in southern United States
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Flag Day, June 14
commemorating the adoption of the United States flag in 1777
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Father's Day
US: third Sunday in June
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Citizenship Day, September 17
celebrated in the United States
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American Indian Day
US: the 4th Friday in September
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October 24, United Nations Day
a day for celebrating the founding of the United Nations
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Allhallows Eve, Hallowe'en, Halloween
the evening before All Saints' Day; often devoted to pranks played by young people
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saint's day
a day commemorating a saint
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June 23, Midsummer Eve, Midsummer Night, St John's Eve, St John's Night
the night before Midsummer Day
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school day
any day on which school is in session
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speech day
an annual day in the schools when speeches are made and prizes are distributed
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washday, washing day
a day set aside for doing household laundry
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wedding day
the day of a wedding
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anniversary, day of remembrance
the date on which an event occurred in some previous year (or the celebration of it)
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half-holiday
a day on which half is free from work or duty
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Guy Fawkes Day
day for the celebration of the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot
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Bonfire Night, Guy Fawkes Night
effigies of Guy Fawkes are burned on this night
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feast day, fete day
a day designated for feasting
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Hogmanay
New Year's Eve in Scotland
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holy day, religious holiday
a day specified for religious observance
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Christmas Eve, Dec 24
the day before Christmas
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legal holiday, national holiday, public holiday
authorized by law and limiting work or official business
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Poppy Day, Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday
the Sunday nearest to November 11 when those who died in World War I and World War II are commemorated
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Ramanavami
Hindu lunar holiday (on the 9th day of Caitra) to celebrate the birth of Rama
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Mesasamkranti
Hindu solar holiday at the beginning of the new astrological year when the sun enters the constellation Aries
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name day
the feast day of a saint whose name one bears
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birthday
an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)
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jubilee
a special anniversary (or the celebration of it)
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wedding anniversary
the anniversary of the day on which you were married (or the celebration of it)
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semicentenary, semicentennial
the 50th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
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centenary, centennial
the 100th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
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sesquicentennial
the 150th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
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bicentenary, bicentennial
the 200th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
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tercentenary, tercentennial, triennial
the 300th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
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quatercentenary, quatercentennial
the 400th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
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quincentenary, quincentennial
the 500th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
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millenary, millennium
the 1000th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
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bimillenary, bimillennium
the 2000th anniversary (or the celebration of it)
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type of:
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calendar day, civil day
a day reckoned from midnight to midnight
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an era of existence or influence
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a period of opportunity“he deserves his day in court”“every dog has his day”
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type of:
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chance, opportunity
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
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chance, opportunity
Pronunciation
US
/deɪ/
UK
/deɪ/
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