plural days
1
a
: the time of light between one night and the next
the shortest day of the year
b
: daylight sense 1
woke up at the break of day
c
: daytime
sleeps during the day and works at night
2
astronomy : the period of rotation of a planet (such as earth) or a moon on its axis
the length of one day on Mars
3
: the mean solar day of 24 hours beginning at midnight by mean time
open seven days a week
the first day of every month
Take one pill two times a day.
4
: a specified day or date
their wedding day
the day of her birth
5
: a specified time or period : age
in grandfather's day
often used in plural
the old days
the days of sailing ships
6
: the conflict or contention of the day
played hard and won the day
7
: the time established by usage or law for work, school, or business
starts his day with a cup of coffee
after a long day at school
We have a busy day tomorrow.

see also day after day, day in and day out

Examples of day in a Sentence

We're open seven days a week, 365 days a year. Payment is due on the first day of every month. “What day of the week is the 28th?” “It's a Friday.” He spent five days in the hospital. She left on Thursday and came back four days later. That was the happiest day of my life. Parenthood gets better every day. The office is closed for the day. She works eight hours a day. It costs 10 dollars a day to park there.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Standing outside a San Tan Valley voting area Wednesday, Lake, a former TV news anchor, struck an optimistic tone in her campaign against U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and tried to tie him to the political putdowns that have garnered headlines in the waning days of the election. Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2024 The launch comes just days ahead of the United States presidential election, and follows warnings from the South Korean intelligence agency that Pyongyang was planning on launching an ICBM around the election to test its reentry technology. Helen Regan, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024 The store opened with cocktails and an afterparty for its Atlanta customers Wednesday night and will be available for private appointments for two days before opening to the public on Saturday. Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 30 Oct. 2024 She was rushed to the hospital and kept on life support for two days so her children could say their goodbyes. Emily Blackwood, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for day 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English dæg; akin to Old High German tag day

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of day was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near day

Cite this Entry

“Day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/day. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

day

noun
1
a
: the time of light between one night and the next
b
2
a
: the time the earth takes to make one turn on its axis
b
: the time required for a heavenly body to turn once on its axis
a lunar day
3
: a period of 24 hours beginning at midnight
4
: a specified day or date
the day of the picnic
their wedding day
5
: a specified time or period : age
in grandmother's day
6
: the conflict or dispute of the day
fought hard and won the day
7
: the time set apart by custom or law for work
the eight-hour day

Biographical Definition

Day 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

Clarence Shepard, Jr. 1874–1935 American author

Day

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Thomas 1748–1789 English author

Day

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

William Rufus 1849–1923 American statesman and jurist

More from Merriam-Webster on day

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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