leap day
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of leap day
First recorded in 1590–1600
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.
To keep the calendar aligned with the Earth's orbit we add a leap day in every four years to make up for this difference.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
To sync the natural world to our calendars, we add a leap day every four years, on Feb. 29 — today.
From New York Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
That means couples who take the plunge on leap day can celebrate their wedding anniversary every four years, just in time for the Summer Olympics and presidential elections.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2024
He then mandated a 365.25 day year that simply added a leap day every fourth year.
From National Geographic ● Feb. 26, 2024
Three hundred and sixty-six, if you count leap day.
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
