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Almanac - 4 dictionary results

al⋅ma⋅nac

  [awl-muh-nak]
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–noun
1. an annual publication containing a calendar for the coming year, the times of such events and phenomena as anniversaries, sunrises and sunsets, phases of the moon, tides, etc., and other statistical information and related topics.
2. a publication containing astronomical or meteorological information, usually including future positions of celestial objects, star magnitudes, and culmination dates of constellations.
3. an annual reference book of useful and interesting facts relating to countries of the world, sports, entertainment, etc.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME almenak < ML almanach < SpAr al the + manākh calendar < ?
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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al·ma·nac   (ôl'mə-nāk', āl'-)   
n.  
  1. An annual publication including calendars with weather forecasts, astronomical information, tide tables, and other related tabular information.
  2. A usually annual reference book composed of various lists, tables, and often brief articles relating to a particular field or many general fields.

[Middle English almenak, from Medieval Latin almanach, perhaps from Late Greek almenikhiaka, ephemeris, perhaps of Coptic origin.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Almanac

Al"ma*nac\ (?; 277), n. [LL. almanac, almanach: cf. F. almanach, Sp. almanaque, It. almanacco, all of uncertain origin.] A book or table, containing a calendar of days, and months, to which astronomical data and various statistics are often added, such as the times of the rising and setting of the sun and moon, eclipses, hours of full tide, stated festivals of churches, terms of courts, etc.

Nautical almanac, an almanac, or year book, containing astronomical calculations (lunar, stellar, etc.), and other information useful to mariners.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Almanac
Spanish: almanaque,
German: der Almanach,
Japanese: 暦
More Translations »

almanac 
c.1391, attested in Anglo-L. from 1267, via O.Fr. almanach or M.L. almanachus from Spanish-Arabic al-manakh "calendar, almanac" (occurring nowhere else in Arabic), possibly ult. from Late Gk. almenichiakon "calendar," probably of Coptic origin. This word has been the subject of much speculation; its central syllable may be from or influenced by the PIE root of Mod.E. moon and month.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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