| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
before 950; Middle English; Old English dæg; cognate with German Tag
Related forms
ərdBased on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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day (deɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | Also called: civil day the period of time, the calendar day, of 24 hours' duration reckoned from one midnight to the next |
| 2. | a. the period of light between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from the night |
| b. (as modifier): the day shift | |
| 3. | the part of a day occupied with regular activity, esp work: he took a day off |
| 4. | (sometimes plural) a period or point in time: he was a good singer in his day; in days gone by; any day now |
| 5. | the period of time, the sidereal day, during which the earth makes one complete revolution on its axis relative to a particular star. The mean sidereal day lasts 23 hours 56 minutes 4.1 seconds of the mean solar day |
| 6. | the period of time, the solar day, during which the earth makes one complete revolution on its axis relative to the sun. The mean solar day is the average length of the apparent solar day and is some four minutes (3 minutes 56.5 seconds of sidereal time) longer than the sidereal day |
| 7. | the period of time taken by a specified planet to make one complete rotation on its axis: the Martian day |
| 8. | (often capital) a day designated for a special observance, esp a holiday: Christmas Day |
| 9. | all in a day's work part of one's normal activity; no trouble |
| 10. | at the end of the day in the final reckoning |
| 11. | day of rest the Sabbath; Sunday |
| 12. | end one's days to pass the end of one's life |
| 13. | every dog has his day one's luck will come |
| 14. | in this day and age nowadays |
| 15. | it's early days it's too early to tell how things will turn out |
| 16. | late in the day |
| a. very late (in a particular situation) | |
| b. too late | |
| 17. | that will be the day |
| a. I look forward to that | |
| b. that is most unlikely to happen | |
| 18. | a time of success, recognition, power, etc: his day will soon come |
| 19. | a struggle or issue at hand: the day is lost |
| 20. | a. the ground surface over a mine |
| b. (as modifier): the day level | |
| 21. | from day to day without thinking of the future |
| 22. | call it a day to stop work or other activity |
| 23. | day after day without respite; relentlessly |
| 24. | day by day gradually or progressively; daily: he weakened day by day |
| 25. | day in, day out every day and all day long |
| 26. | from Day 1, from Day One from the very beginning |
| 27. | one of these days at some future time |
| 28. | (modifier) of, relating to, or occurring in the day: the day shift |
| Related: diurnal | |
| [Old English dæg; related to Old High German tag, Old Norse dagr] | |
| Day (deɪ) | |
| —n | |
| Sir Robin. 1923--2000, British radio and television journalist, noted esp for his political interviews | |
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day
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day  (dā) Pronunciation Key
See under sidereal time, solar day. |
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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| DAY James M. Cox Dayton [OH] International Airport |
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Day definition
The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). "The heat of the day" (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o'clock, and "the cool of the day" just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex. 14:24). In the New Testament the division of the Greeks and Romans into four watches was adopted (Mark 13:35). (See WATCHES.) The division of the day by hours is first mentioned in Dan. 3:6, 15; 4:19; 5:5. This mode of reckoning was borrowed from the Chaldeans. The reckoning of twelve hours was from sunrise to sunset, and accordingly the hours were of variable length (John 11:9). The word "day" sometimes signifies an indefinite time (Gen. 2:4; Isa. 22:5; Heb. 3:8, etc.). In Job 3:1 it denotes a birthday, and in Isa. 2:12, Acts 17:31, and 2 Tim. 1:18, the great day of final judgment.
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day
In addition to the idioms beginning with day, also see all in a day's work; any day; apple a day; bad hair day; break of day; by the day; call it a day; carry the day; different as night and day; dog days; every dog has its day; field day; for days on end; forever and a day; from this day forward; good day; had its day; happy as the day is long; heavenly days; in all one's born days; in the cold light of day; in this day and age; late in the day; make a day of it; make one's day; name the day; night and day; not give someone the time of day; not one's day; one of these days; order of the day; pass the time (of day); plain as day; rainy day; red-letter day; Rome wasn't built in a day; salad days; save the day; seen better days; see the light of day; that'll be the day; the other day; time of day; tomorrow is another day; win through (the day).
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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