Day (?), n. [OE. day, dai,, dei, AS.
dæg; akin to OS., D., Dan., &
Sw. dag, G, tag, Icel. dagr, Goth.
dags; cf. Skr. dah (for dhagh ?)
to burn. √69. Cf. Dawn.]
1. The time of light, or interval between one night and
the next; the time between sunrise and sunset, or from dawn
to darkness; hence, the light; sunshine.
2. The period of the
earth's revolution on its axis. -- ordinarily divided into twenty-four hours. It is measured by the interval between two successive transits of a celestial body over the
same meridian, and takes a specific name from that of
the body. Thus, if this
is the sun,
the day (the
interval between two successive transits of the sun's center over
the same meridian) is called a solar day; if it is a star, a sidereal day; if it is the moon, a lunar day. See Civil day, Sidereal day, below.
3. Those hours, or the daily
recurring period, allotted by
usage or law for work.
4. A specified time or period; time, considered with reference to the existence or prominence of a person or thing; age;
time.
A
man who was
great among the Hellenes of his day.
Jowett (Thucyd. ) If my debtors do not
keep their day, . . .
I must with patience all the terms attend.
Dryden. 5. (Preceded by the) Some day in particular, as some day of contest, some anniversary, etc.
The field of
Agincourt,
Fought on the day of Crispin
Crispianus.
Shak. His name struck fear, his conduct won the day.
Roscommon. &fist; Day is much used in
self-explaining compounds; as,
daybreak, daylight, workday, etc.
Anniversary day. See Anniversary, n. -- Astronomical day,
a period equal to the
mean solar day, but beginning at noon instead of at midnight, its twenty-four hours being numbered from 1 to 24; also, the sidereal day, as that most
used by astronomers. -- Born days. See under Born. -- Canicular days. See
Dog day. -- Civil day, the mean solar day, used in the ordinary reckoning of time, and among most modern nations beginning at mean midnight; its hours are usually numbered in two series, each from 1 to 12. This is the period recognized by courts as constituting a day. The Babylonians and Hindoos began their day at sunrise, the Athenians and Jews at sunset, the ancient Egyptians and Romans at midnight. -- Day blindness.
(Med.) See Nyctalopia. -- Day by day,
or Day after day, daily; every day; continually; without intermission of a day. See under By. "Day by day we magnify thee." Book of Common Prayer. -- Days
in bank (Eng. Law), certain stated days for the return of
writs and the appearance of parties; -- so called because originally peculiar to the Court
of Common Bench, or Bench (bank) as it was formerly termed. Burrill. - - Day in court, a day for the appearance of parties in a suit.
-- Days of devotion
(R. C. Ch.), certain festivals on which devotion leads the faithful to attend mass. Shipley. -- Days of grace. See Grace. -- Days
of obligation (R. C. Ch.), festival days when it is obligatory on the faithful to attend Mass. Shipley. -- Day owl, (Zoöl.), an owl that flies by day. See
Hawk owl. -- Day rule (Eng. Law), an order of court (now abolished) allowing a prisoner, under certain circumstances,
to go beyond the prison limits for a single day. -- Day school, one which the pupils attend only in daytime, in distinction from a boarding school. --
Day sight. (Med.)
See Hemeralopia. -- Day's work
(Naut.), the account or reckoning of a ship's course for twenty-four hours, from noon to noon. -- From day to day,
as time passes; in the course
of time; as,
he improves from day to day. -- Jewish day, the time between sunset and sunset. -- Mean solar day (Astron.),
the mean or average of
all the apparent solar days of the year. -- One day, One of these days, at an uncertain time, usually of the future, rarely of the past; sooner or later. "Well, niece, I hope
to see you
one day fitted with a husband." Shak. -- Only from day
to day, without certainty of continuance; temporarily. Bacon. -- Sidereal day, the interval between two successive transits of the first
point of Aries over the same meridian. The Sidereal day is 23 h. 56 m. 4.09
s. of mean solar time. -- To win the day, to gain the victory, to be successful. S. Butler. -- Week day, any day of the week except Sunday; a working day. -- Working day. (a) A day when work may be legally done, in distinction from Sundays and legal holidays. (b) The number of hours, determined by law or custom, during which a workman, hired at a stated price per day, must work to be
entitled to a day's pay.
Hear it pronounced