lunar cycle

American  

[loo-ner sahy-kuhl] / ˈlu nər ˈsaɪ kəl /

noun

Astronomy.

1. a cycle of 235 synodic months, very nearly equal to 19 years, after which the new moon occurs on the same day of the year as at the beginning of the cycle with perhaps a shift of one day, depending on the number of leap years in the cycle.

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Etymology

Origin of lunar cycle

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

We usually get 12 full Moons a year, but as this doesn't quite match up with the lunar cycle we get an additional one roughly every two and half years.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

The new moon will mark the beginning of the next 29.5-day lunar cycle.

From Scientific American • Aug. 30, 2023

The most commonly observed fast is Ekadashi, which falls on the 11th day of each lunar cycle as the moon waxes and wanes.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 23, 2023

The survival of wild species depends on the variabilities of the natural world — day and night, seasons, the lunar cycle.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2022

Annals, 49 uses the dominical letter, 49 mentions the lunar cycle, 49 quotes historical writers, 49 his home, 48.Tighearnmas,

From An Illustrated History of Ireland from AD 400 to 1800 by Cusack, Mary Frances