lunar cycle

American

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

noun

Astronomy.

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.

Etymology

Origin of lunar cycle

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

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lunar cycle

As the lunar cycle is 29.5 days, eventually this gets out of sync with our calendar where you normally have one full moon a month.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2024

Ramadan lasts one lunar cycle, measured from new moon to new moon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2024

The date of the festival varies depending on the lunar cycle.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2024

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

From Scientific American ● Aug. 30, 2023

It has already been shown that the lunar cycle contained 6939 days and 18 hours; also, that the exact time of 235 lunations is 6939d, 16h, 31m, 14.45s.

From Our Calendar by Packer, George Nichols

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023