tropical year

American  

noun

1. a division of time equal to about 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds, representing the interval between one vernal equinox and the next.

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tropical year British  

noun

1. another name for solar year See year

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tropical year Scientific  

1. A solar year.

2. See under solar time

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Etymology

Origin of tropical year

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tropical year

The basic period of revolution of Earth, called the tropical year, is 365.2422 days.

From Textbooks ● Oct. 13, 2016

The second feature of the new Gregorian calendar was a change in the rule for leap year, making the average length of the year more closely approximate the tropical year.

From Textbooks ● Oct. 13, 2016

The true number of days in the mean tropical year actually varies slightly over time.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 18, 2011

The Julian calendar approximated the mean tropical year as 365.25 days and proposed 366-day leap years for every one divisible by four.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 18, 2011

Accurate observations with the elaborate apparatus used by professional astronomers show that this period, which is called a tropical year, is 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds.

From A Text-Book of Astronomy by Comstock, George C.