years

Main Entry:: year
Pronunciation:: \ˈyir\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Middle English yere, from Old English gēar; akin to Old High German jār year, Greek hōros year, hōra season, hour
Date:: before 12th century

1 a: the period of about 365¹/₄ solar days required for one revolution of the earth around the sun b: the time required for the apparent sun to return to an arbitrary fixed or moving reference point in the sky c: the time in which a planet completes a revolution about the sun <two Mercury years>2 a: a cycle in the Gregorian calendar of 365 or 366 days divided into 12 months beginning with January and ending with December b: a period of time equal to one year of the Gregorian calendar but beginning at a different time3: a calendar year specified usually by a number <died in the year 1900>4plural : a time or era having a special significance <their glory years>5 a: 12 months that constitute a measure of age or duration <her 21st year> —often used in combination <a year-old child> bplural : age <wise beyond her years> ; also : the final stage of the normal life span6: a period of time (as the usually 9-month period in which a school is in session) other than a calendar year

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