bissextile - Definitions from Dictionary.com

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

bis·sex·tile

Audio Help [bahy-seks-til, -tahyl, bi-] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	containing or noting the extra day of leap year: The years 1980 and 1984 were both bissextile.

–noun

2.	leap year.

[Origin: 1585–95; < LL bi(s)sextilis (annus) leap year, equiv. to bissext(us) bissextus + -ilis -ile

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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bissextile

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

bis·sex·tile Audio Help (bī-sěk'stĭl, -stīl', bĭ-) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Of or relating to a leap year.
Of or relating to the extra day falling in a leap year.

n. A leap year.

[Late Latin bissextīlis, containing an intercalary day, from bisextus (diēs), bis sextus (diēs) and Latin bisextum, intercalary day : bis, twice; see bis + sextus, sixth (because the sixth day before the Calends of March on February 24 occurred twice every leap year); see sext.]

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Bissextile

Bis*sex"tile\, n. [L. bissextilis annus, fr. bissextus (bis + sextus sixth, fr. sex six) the sixth of the calends of March, or twenty-fourth day of February, which was reckoned twice every fourth year, by the intercalation of a day.] Leap year; every fourth year, in which a day is added to the month of February on account of the excess of the tropical year (365 d. 5 h. 48 m. 46 s.) above 365 days. But one day added every four years is equivalent to six hours each year, which is 11 m. 14 s. more than the excess of the real year. Hence, it is necessary to suppress the bissextile day at the end of every century which is not divisible by 400, while it is retained at the end of those which are divisible by 400.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Bissextile

Bis*sex"tile\, a. Pertaining to leap year.

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