day

Pronunciation: /deɪ/

Translate day | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish

Definition of day

noun

1each of the twenty-four-hour periods, reckoned from one midnight to the next, into which a week, month, or year is divided, and corresponding to a rotation of the earth on its axis: they only met a few days ago we’ll leave the day after tomorrow ‘What day is it?’ ‘Sunday’ she spent five days in hospital
the part of a day when it is light; the time between sunrise and sunset:the animals hunt by day
the part of a day spent working:he works an eight-hour day
Astronomy a single rotation of a planet in relation to its primary.
Astronomy the period on a planet when its primary star is above the horizon.
[mass noun] archaic or literary daylight:by the time they had all gone it was broad day

2 (also days) a particular period of the past; an era:in Shakespeare’s day the laws were very strict in those days
(the day) the present time:the political issues of the day
(usually with modifier days) a particular period in a person’s life or career:my student days
(one's day) the most active or successful period of a person’s life or career:he had been a star in his day
(one's days) the remaining period of someone’s life:she cared for him for the rest of his days

Phrases

all in a day's work: (of something unusual or difficult) accepted as part of someone’s normal routine or as a matter of course:dodging sharks is all in a day’s work for some scientists
any day
at the end of the day: see end.
by the day: gradually and steadily:the campaign is growing by the day
call it a day: decide or agree to stop doing something: after three marriages, many men would have been more than ready to call it a day
day after day: on each successive day over a long period:the rain poured down day after day
day and night: all the time:the district is patrolled day and night
day by day: on each successive day; gradually and steadily: day by day I grew worse
day in, day out: continuously or repeatedly over a long period of time: I worked with you day in, day out
day of reckoning: the time when past mistakes or misdeeds must be punished or paid for: a day of reckoning will come for those in the security service
[with allusion to Judgement Day, on which (in some beliefs) the judgement of mankind is expected to take place]
don't give up the day job: informal used as a humorous way of recommending someone not to pursue something at which they are unlikely to be successful.
from day one: from the very beginning:children need a firm hand from day one
have had one's (or its) day: be no longer popular, successful, or influential:power dressing has had its day
if he (or she etc.) is a day: at least (appended to a statement about a person’s age):he must be seventy if he’s a day
in this day and age: at the present time: you can’t be too careful in this day and age
not someone's day: used to convey that someone has experienced a day of successive misfortunes: not your day, is it, darling
one day: at a particular but unspecified time in the past:one day a boy started teasing Grady; (also some day or one of these days) at a particular but unspecified time in the future:our wishes will come true one of these days he would one day be a great President
one of those days: a day when several things go wrong: it was just one of those days
that will be the day: informal that is very unlikely: ‘I may have missed something.’ ‘That’ll be the day.’
these days: at present:he’s drinking far too much these days
those were the days: used to assert that a particular past time was better than the present: the sixties, those were the days
to the day: exactly:it’s four years to the day since he was killed
to this day: at the present time as in the past; still:the tradition continues to this day

Origin:

Old English dæg, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dag and German Tag

day in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of day in the US English dictionary

Subscriber login

Library card login

Other

day

noun

Phrases

all in a day's work

any day

at the end of the day

by the day

call it a day

day after day

day and night

day by day

day in, day out

day of reckoning

don't give up the day job

from day one

have had one's (or its) day

if he (or she etc.) is a day

in this day and age

not someone's day

one day

one of those days

that will be the day

these days

those were the days

to the day

to this day

Origin:

day in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

More results for day

More words in this category

Word of the day

synodic