year

 
Pronunciation: /jɪə, jəː/

noun

  • 1the time taken by the earth to make one revolution around the sun.
  • 2 (also calendar year or civil year) the period of 365 days (or 366 days in leap years) starting from the first of January, used for reckoning time in ordinary circumstances.
  • a period of twelve months measured from a point other than 1 January: it’s almost a year since his heart attack
  • [with adjective] a year regarded in terms of the quality of something produced: single-vineyard wine of a good year
  • a period similar to a year used for reckoning time according to other calendars: the Muslim year
  • 3 (one's years) one’s age or time of life: she had a composure well beyond her years
  • 4 (years) informal a very long time; ages: it’s going to take years to put that right
  • 5a set of students grouped together as being of roughly similar ages, mostly entering a school or college in the same academic year: most of the girls in my year were leaving at the end of the term

Phrases

in the year of grace (or Our Lord) ——

in the year —— ad: he was murdered in the year of grace 1618
[year of grace, suggested by medieval Latin anno gratiae, used by chroniclers]

—— of the year

a person or thing chosen as outstanding in a specified field or of a specified kind in a particular year: the sports personality of the year

put years on (or take years off) someone

make someone feel or look older (or younger): the daily grind of moneymaking can put years on a person

a year and a day

the period specified in some legal matters to ensure the completion of a full year.

the year dot

see dot1.

year in, year out

continuously or repeatedly over a period of years: they rented the same bungalow year in, year out

Origin:

Old English gē(a)r, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch jaar and German Jahr, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek hōra 'season'