day | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

478 entries found.

the spelling used in the U.S. congressional resolution first recognizing it, May 9, 1908.

1747, originally a day of military exercise and review (see field (v.)); figurative sense "any day of unusual bustle, exertion, or display" [Century Dictionary] is from 1827.

VE Day (n.)

initialism (acronym) for Victory in Europe, from September 1944 (see victory).

latter-day (adj.)

"belonging to recent times," 1842; see latter (adj.). Originally in Latter-day Saints, the Mormon designation for themselves.

workaday

c. 1200, werkedei (n.), "day designated for labor rather than religious observance or rest," from Old Norse virkr dagr "working day;" see work (n.) + day. It passed into an adjective 16c.

quarter day (n.)

mid-15c., "day that begins a quarter of the year," designated as days when rents were paid and contracts and leases began or expired, from quarter (n.1). They were, in England, Lady day (March 25), Midsummer day (June 24), Michaelmas day (Sept. 29), and Christmas day (Dec. 25); in Scotland, keeping closer to the pre-Christian Celtic calendar, they were Candlemas (Feb. 2), Whitsunday (May 15), Lammas (Aug. 1), and Martinmas (Nov. 11). Quarter in the sense "period of three months; one of the four divisions of a year" is recorded from late 14c. Related: Quarter days.

Earth Day

as an annual ecological awareness event on April 22, from 1970; the idea for it and the name date from 1969.

Boxing Day (n.)

1809, "first weekday after Christmas," on which by an English custom postmen, employees, and others can expect to receive a Christmas present; originally in reference to the custom of distributing the contents of the Christmas box, which was placed in the church for charity collections. See box (n.1). The custom is older than the phrase.

everyday (adj.)

1630s, "worn on ordinary days," as opposed to Sundays or high days, from noun meaning "a week day" (late 14c.), from every (adj.) + day (n.). Extended sense of "to be met with every day, common" is from 1763.

noonday (n.)

"middle of the day," first used by Coverdale (1535), from noon + day. As an adjective from 1650s. Old English had non tid "noon-tide, midday, noon," also non-tima "noon, noon-time, midday."

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