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

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

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

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

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

From Scientific American • Oct. 18, 2011

But while the first is 365·25 days, the second is 365·242264 days; so that the tropical year is too small by 11 minutes and 8 seconds.

From Astronomical Myths Based on Flammarions's History of the Heavens by Blake, John F.