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day

[dey]
See more synonyms for day on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the interval of light between two successive nights; the time between sunrise and sunset: Since there was no artificial illumination, all activities had to be carried on during the day.
  2. the light of day; daylight: The owl sleeps by day and feeds by night.
  3. Astronomy.
    1. Also called mean solar day.a division of time equal to 24 hours and representing the average length of the period during which the earth makes one rotation on its axis.
    2. Also called solar day.a division of time equal to the time elapsed between two consecutive returns of the same terrestrial meridian to the sun.
    3. Also called civil day.a division of time equal to 24 hours but reckoned from one midnight to the next.See also lunar day, sidereal day.
  4. an analogous division of time for a planet other than the earth: the Martian day.
  5. the portion of a day allotted to work: an eight-hour day.
  6. a day on which something occurs: the day we met.
  7. (often initial capital letter) a day assigned to a particular purpose or observance: New Year's Day.
  8. a time considered as propitious or opportune: His day will come.
  9. a day of contest or the contest itself: to win the day.
  10. Often days. a particular time or period: the present day; in days of old.
  11. Usually days. period of life or activity: His days are numbered.
  12. period of existence, power, or influence: in the day of the dinosaurs.
  13. Architecture. light1(def 19a).
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Idioms
  1. call it a day, to stop one's activity for the day or for the present; quit temporarily: After rewriting the paper, she decided to call it a day.
  2. day and night. night(def 11).
  3. day in, day out, every day without fail; regularly: They endured the noise and dirt of the city day in, day out.Also day in and day out.
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Origin of day

before 950; Middle English; Old English dæg; cognate with German Tag
Related formshalf-day, nounpre·day, noun

Day

[dey]
noun
  1. Benjamin Henry,1810–89, U.S. newspaper publisher.
  2. Clarence (Shep·ard) [shep-erd] /ˈʃɛp ərd/, 1874–1935, U.S. author.
  3. Dorothy,1897–1980, U.S. Roman Catholic social activist, journalist, and publisher.
  4. Also Daye. Stephen,1594?–1668, U.S. colonist, born in England: considered the first printer in the Colonies.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for day

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • During the whole of the ensuing day, Paralus continued in a deep sleep.

    Philothea

    Lydia Maria Child

  • At sunset he would have stopped for the day, camping on the spot.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • I need cheerfulness and rest for a long time after this day in town.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • But at last there came a day against which no objections could be raised.

    Philothea

    Lydia Maria Child

  • Some one said the other day, "Ennui is a disease that comes from living on other people's money."

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for day

day

noun
  1. Also called: civil day the period of time, the calendar day, of 24 hours' duration reckoned from one midnight to the next
    1. the period of light between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from the night
    2. (as modifier)the day shift
  3. the part of a day occupied with regular activity, esp workhe took a day off
  4. (sometimes plural) a period or point in timehe was a good singer in his day; in days gone by; any day now
  5. the period of time, the sidereal day, during which the earth makes one complete revolution on its axis relative to a particular star. The mean sidereal day lasts 23 hours 56 minutes 4.1 seconds of the mean solar day
  6. the period of time, the solar day, during which the earth makes one complete revolution on its axis relative to the sun. The mean solar day is the average length of the apparent solar day and is some four minutes (3 minutes 56.5 seconds of sidereal time) longer than the sidereal day
  7. the period of time taken by a specified planet to make one complete rotation on its axisthe Martian day
  8. (often capital) a day designated for a special observance, esp a holidayChristmas Day
  9. all in a day's work part of one's normal activity; no trouble
  10. at the end of the day in the final reckoning
  11. day of rest the Sabbath; Sunday
  12. end one's days to pass the end of one's life
  13. every dog has his day one's luck will come
  14. in this day and age nowadays
  15. it's early days it's too early to tell how things will turn out
  16. late in the day
    1. very late (in a particular situation)
    2. too late
  17. that will be the day
    1. I look forward to that
    2. that is most unlikely to happen
  18. a time of success, recognition, power, etchis day will soon come
  19. a struggle or issue at handthe day is lost
    1. the ground surface over a mine
    2. (as modifier)the day level
  21. from day to day without thinking of the future
  22. call it a day to stop work or other activity
  23. day after day without respite; relentlessly
  24. day by day gradually or progressively; dailyhe weakened day by day
  25. day in, day out every day and all day long
  26. from Day 1 or from Day One from the very beginning
  27. one of these days at some future time
  28. (modifier) of, relating to, or occurring in the daythe day shift
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See also days
Related formsRelated adjective: diurnal

Word Origin

Old English dæg; related to Old High German tag, Old Norse dagr

Day

noun
  1. Sir Robin. 1923–2000, British radio and television journalist, noted esp for his political interviews
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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

Word Origin and History for day

n.

Old English dæg "day," also "lifetime," from Proto-Germanic *dagaz (cf. Old Saxon, Middle Dutch, Dutch dag, Old Frisian dei, Old High German tag, German Tag, Old Norse dagr, Gothic dags), from PIE *dhegh-.

Not considered to be related to Latin dies (see diurnal), but rather to Sanskrit dah "to burn," Lithuanian dagas "hot season," Old Prussian dagis "summer." Meaning originally, in English, "the daylight hours;" expanded to mean "the 24-hour period" in late Anglo-Saxon times. Day off first recorded 1883; day-tripper first recorded 1897. The days in nowadays, etc. is a relic of the Old English and Middle English use of the adverbial genitive.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
day in Science

day

[dā]
  1. See under sidereal time solar day.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with day

day

In addition to the idioms beginning with day

also see:

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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.