lunar month
Americannoun
noun
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The average time between successive occurrences of the same phase of the Moon, equal to approximately 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes. Depending on the lunar calendar being used, a lunar month can begin with the new moon or the full moon.
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Also called lunation synodic month
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◆ A period of 12 lunar months is a lunar year.
Etymology
Origin of lunar month
First recorded in 1585–95
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The festival which marks the last full-moon day of the lunar month celebrates the beginning of spring and the victory of good over evil.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2023
The festival is celebrated on the night of the full moon of the 12th lunar month, which traditionally marks the end of the rainy season.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 19, 2021
The Maya did not attempt to correlate their calendar accurately with the length of the year or lunar month.
From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016
One Chinese tradition says restless spirits are on the prowl on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.
From Time • Jul. 14, 2016
But the lunar month is between 29 and 30 days long.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
