year
(yîr)
[Middle English yere, from Old English gēar.]
noun
- The period of time during which Earth completes a single revolution around the sun, consisting of 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 12 seconds of mean solar time. In the Gregorian calendar the year begins on January 1 and ends on December 31 and is divided into 12 months, 52 weeks, and 365 or 366 days. Also called calendar year
- A period approximately equal to a year in other calendars.
- A period of approximately the duration of a calendar year: We were married a year ago.
- A sidereal year.
- A solar year.
- A period equal to the calendar year but beginning on a different date: a tax-reckoning year; a farming year.
- A specific period of time, usually shorter than 12 months, devoted to a special activity: the academic year.
- Age, especially old age: I'm feeling my years.
- An indefinitely long period of time: it's been years since we saw her.
