day

[dey]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR day ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

the light of day; daylight: The owl sleeps by day and feeds by night.

Astronomy.

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.
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.
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.

an analogous division of time for a planet other than the earth: the Martian day.

the portion of a day allotted to work: an eight-hour day.

a day on which something occurs: the day we met.

(often initial capital letter) a day assigned to a particular purpose or observance: New Year's Day.

a time considered as propitious or opportune: His day will come.

a day of contest or the contest itself: to win the day.

Often days. a particular time or period: the present day; in days of old.

Usually days. period of life or activity: His days are numbered.

period of existence, power, or influence: in the day of the dinosaurs.

Architecture. light¹(def 19a).

Idioms

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.

day and night. night(def 11).

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.

Origin of day

before 950; Middle English; Old English dæg; cognate with German Tag

Related formshalf-day, nounpre·day, noun

Day

[dey]

noun

Benjamin Henry,1810–89, U.S. newspaper publisher.

Clarence (Shep·ard)

[shep-erd] /ˈʃɛp ərd/, 1874–1935, U.S. author.

Dorothy,1897–1980, U.S. Roman Catholic social activist, journalist, and publisher.

Also Daye. Stephen,1594?–1668, U.S. colonist, born in England: considered the first printer in the Colonies.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for day

term, period, time, light, daylight, sunshine, sunlight, daytime, prime, zenith, generation, age, epoch, height, ascendancy, heyday, cycle, bright

Examples from the Web for day

Contemporary Examples of day

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
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
“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
Luckily enough I have this dedicated flat that is just along from my house that I go to every day.
Belle & Sebastian Aren’t So Shy Anymore
James Joiner
January 7, 2015
I really wanted Trenchmouth to succeed and at the time wished we were as big as Green Day.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness
Marlow Stern
January 7, 2015

Historical Examples of day

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

Also called: civil day the period of time, the calendar day, of 24 hours' duration reckoned from one midnight to the next

the period of light between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from the night
(as modifier)the day shift

the part of a day occupied with regular activity, esp workhe took a day off

(sometimes plural) a period or point in timehe was a good singer in his day; in days gone by; any day now

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

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

the period of time taken by a specified planet to make one complete rotation on its axisthe Martian day

(often capital) a day designated for a special observance, esp a holidayChristmas Day

all in a day's work part of one's normal activity; no trouble

at the end of the day in the final reckoning

day of rest the Sabbath; Sunday

end one's days to pass the end of one's life

every dog has his day one's luck will come

in this day and age nowadays

it's early days it's too early to tell how things will turn out

late in the day

very late (in a particular situation)
too late

that will be the day

I look forward to that
that is most unlikely to happen

a time of success, recognition, power, etchis day will soon come

a struggle or issue at handthe day is lost

the ground surface over a mine
(as modifier)the day level

from day to day without thinking of the future

call it a day to stop work or other activity

day after day without respite; relentlessly

day by day gradually or progressively; dailyhe weakened day by day

day in, day out every day and all day long

from Day 1 or from Day One from the very beginning

one of these days at some future time

(modifier) of, relating to, or occurring in the daythe day shift

Word Origin for day

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

Day

noun

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

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

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.

day in Science