year
Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /jɪə/
  • (America) enPR: yîr, IPA: /jɪɹ/
  • (Scotland, Ireland) IPA: /jir/
  • (South Africa) IPA: /jøː/
  • (Wales, other regions) IPA: /jɜː/
Etymology 1

From Middle English yeer, yere, from Old English ġēar, from Proto-West Germanic *jār, from Proto-Germanic *jērą, from Proto-Indo-European *yóh₁r̥.

Noun

year (plural years)

  1. A period of time akin to the time taken for the Earth to undergo a full cycle of seasons.
    we moved to this town a year ago;  I quit smoking exactly one year ago
    1. The time taken for the Earth to return to the same position along the ecliptic, completing a full cycle of seasons; a tropical year or solar year.
    2. The time taken for the Earth to orbit the Sun with respect to the fixed stars; a sidereal year.
    3. The length of twelve lunations; the time taken for any moon phase to happen twelve times; a lunar year.
    4. The length of a year as marked by a calendar, 365 or 366 days in the Gregorian calendar; a calendar year.
    5. The mean length of a calendar year in the Julian calendar, that is, 365.25 solar days; a Julian year.
  2. (by extension) The time it takes for any astronomical object (such as a planet, dwarf planet, small Solar System body, or comet) in direct orbit around a star (such as the Sun) to make one revolution around the star.
    Mars goes around the sun once in a Martian year, or 1.88 Earth years.
  3. A period between set dates that mark a year, such as from January 1 to December 31 by the Gregorian calendar, from Tishri 1 to Elul 29 by the Jewish calendar, and from Muharram 1 to Dhu al-Hijjah 29 or 30 by the Islamic calendar.
    A normal year has 365 full days, but there are 366 days in a leap year.
    I was born in the year 1950.
    This Chinese year is the year of the Ox.
  4. A scheduled part of a calendar year spent in a specific activity.
    During this school year I have to get up at 6:30 to catch the bus.
    1. A level or grade in school or college.
      Every second-year student must select an area of specialization.
      The exams in year 12 at high school are the most difficult.
  5. The proportion of a creature's lifespan equivalent to one year of an average human lifespan (see also dog year).
    Geneticists have created baker's yeast that can live to 800 in yeast years.
Synonyms Translations

see year/translations

Noun
  1. Pronunciation spelling of here
  2. Pronunciation spelling of hear



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