month

[muhnth]

noun

1. Also called calendar month. any of the twelve parts, as January or February, into which the calendar year is divided.

2. the time from any day of one calendar month to the corresponding day of the next.

3. a period of four weeks or 30 days.

4. Also called solar month. one-twelfth of a solar or tropical year.

5. Also called lunar month. the period of a complete revolution of the moon around the earth, as the period between successive new moons synodic month, equal to 29.531 days, or the period between successive conjunctions with a star sidereal month, equal to 27.322 days, or the period between successive perigees anomalistic month, equal to 27.555 days, or the period between successive similar nodes nodical month, or draconic month, equal to 27.212 days.

6. an unusually long period of time of indefinite length.

   I haven't seen him for months.

month

/ mʌnθ /

noun

1. one of the twelve divisions ( calendar months ) of the calendar year

2. a period of time extending from one date to a corresponding date in the next calendar month

3. a period of four weeks or of 30 days

4. the period of time ( tropical month ) taken by the moon to return to the same longitude after one complete revolution around the earth; 27.321 58 days (approximately 27 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes, 4.5 seconds)

5. the period of time ( sidereal month ) taken by the moon to make one complete revolution around the earth, measured between two successive conjunctions with a distant star; 27.321 66 days (approximately 27 days, 7 hours, 43 minutes, 11 seconds)

6. Also called: lunation. the period of time ( lunar or synodic month ) taken by the moon to make one complete revolution around the earth, measured between two successive new moons; 29.530 59 days (approximately 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 3 seconds)

7. informal,  a long unspecified period

Word History and Origins

Origin of month¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English mōnath; cognate with Old High German mānōd, Old Norse mānathr. See moon

Word History and Origins

Origin of month¹

Old English mōnath; related to Old High German mānōd, Old Norse mānathr; compare Gothic mena moon

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. a month of Sundays. Sunday.

More idioms and phrases containing month

• (for months) on end
• by the day (month)

Example Sentences

Mr Bridges, a retired RAF sergeant, says despite putting "the heating up fairly high to keep it nice and warm", his bill has fallen to between £40 and £60 each month.

Read more on BBC

She has pledged to ensure that "every Chilean family can easily make it to the end of the month."

Read more on Barron's

This is the second joint training exercise carried out by the United States and Trinidad and Tobago in less than a month.

Read more on Barron's

He said he would cut energy costs in half in his first 18 months in office and lower mortgage rates to 2%.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Williams said she didn’t know the outcome of the case until she was told by the Journal, more than 13 months after Mitlyng’s 2024 report.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• age 
• date 
• day 
• era 
• future 
• generation 
• hour 
• life 
• moment 
• occasion 
• pace 
• past 
• point 
• present 
• season 
• second 
• space 
• stage 
• term 
• turn