D-day

or D-Day

[ dee-dey ]

/ ˈdiˌdeɪ /

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See synonyms for D-day on Thesaurus.com

noun

Military. the day, usually unspecified, set for the beginning of a planned attack.

June 6, 1944, the day of the invasion of western Europe by Allied forces in World War II.

Informal. any day of special significance, as one marking an important event or goal.

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Origin of D-day

First recorded in 1918; D (for day) + day; the same pattern as H-hour

Words nearby D-day

D.Crim., D.C.S., DCVO, dd, DDAVP, D-day, ddC, DDD, ddI, DDoS, DDR

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use D-day in a sentence

Amy renamed the days of the week A-day, B-day, C-day, D-day, E-day, F-day and G-day.
Can You Cut The Cookies?|Zach Wissner-Gross|December 4, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
He added: “People say he deserves his day in court… Do we have enough time?”
Bill Maher: Hundreds of Millions of Muslims Support Attack on ‘Charlie Hebdo’|Lloyd Grove|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For many years afterward it was a never-ending topic of conversation, and is more or less talked of even to this day.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“We talked about the science the whole time the other day,” Krauss told The Daily Beast in a phone interview.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Gunshots rang out in Paris this morning on a second day of deadly violence that has stunned the French capital.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the middle of all of that past suffering and present-day conflict, this Cosby bomb was dropped.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The afternoon was a lovely one—the day was a perfect example of the mellowest mood of autumn.
Confidence|Henry James
Edna did not reveal so much as all this to Madame Ratignolle that summer day when they sat with faces turned to the sea.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Each day she resolved, "To-morrow I will tell Felipe;" and when to-morrow came, she put it off again.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
There are three things a wise man will not trust: the wind, the sunshine of an April day, and woman's plighted faith.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
The proceedings of the day commenced with divine service, performed by Unitarian and Baptist ministers.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various

British Dictionary definitions for D-day

D-day

noun

the day, June 6, 1944, on which the Allied invasion of Europe began

the day on which any large-scale operation is planned to start

Word Origin for D-day

C20: from D (ay) -day; compare H-hour

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for D-day

D-Day

The code name for the first day of a military attack, especially the American and British invasion of German-occupied France during World War II on June 6, 1944 (see invasion of Normandy). This marked the beginning of the victory of the Allies in Europe. Germany surrendered less than a year later.