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 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

This rate is known as the mean tropical year.

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

The later Babylonians used a tropical year dependent on the actual observation of the spring equinox.

From The Astronomy of the Bible An Elementary Commentary on the Astronomical References of Holy Scripture by Maunder, E. Walter (Edward Walter)