lunar month

American  

[loo-ner muhnth] / ˈlu nər ˈmʌnθ /

noun

1. month.

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lunar month British  

noun

1. another name for synodic month See month

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lunar month Scientific  

1. The average time between successive occurrences of the same phase of the Moon, equal to approximately 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes. Depending on the lunar calendar being used, a lunar month can begin with the new moon or the full moon.

2. Also called lunation synodic month

3. ◆ A period of 12 lunar months is a lunar year.

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Etymology

Origin of lunar month

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

The festival is celebrated on the night of the full moon of the 12th lunar month, which traditionally marks the end of the rainy season.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 19, 2021

The Maya did not attempt to correlate their calendar accurately with the length of the year or lunar month.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

One Chinese tradition says restless spirits are on the prowl on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.

From Time • Jul. 14, 2016

The female crabs ripen in the ninth lunar month, the males in the tenth, and from then until the end of the year they are almost inescapable.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2012

But the lunar month is between 29 and 30 days long.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife