plural
years
plural
years
Britannica Dictionary definition of YEAR
[count]
1
:
a unit of time that is equal to 12 months or 365 or sometimes 366 days
-
I haven't seen her in a year.
-
He quit smoking six years ago.
-
The job pays $45,000 a/per year.
-
She renews her lease every year.
-
We see them once or twice a year.
-
It feels like we've been standing in line for a year.
-
That team hasn't won in years.
-
It's been years since I've been on an airplane.
-
The camp has changed a lot over the years. [=during several/some/many years]
-
The tree grows taller year by year. = The tree grows taller each year. = The tree grows taller as the years go by.
-
The park is open all year round. = The park is open the entire year.
—
see also calendar year, donkey's years, fiscal year, gap year, leap year
2
:
the regular period of 12 months that begins in January and ends in December
-
The work should be done by the end of the year.
-
She was born in the year 1967.
-
The volcano erupted in the year 44 B.C.
-
In what year was the car made?
-
They got married last year. [=during the year before this one]
-
He will retire next year. [=during the year after this one]
-
the movie/teacher/rookie of the year [=the best movie/teacher/rookie in a specific year]
3
—
used to refer to the age of a person
-
She is 14 years old.
-
the teenage years [=the ages 13 through 19]
-
a six-year-old boy
-
He is getting on in years. [=he is getting old]
-
She looks young/old for her years. [=she looks younger/older than she is]
4
:
a period of time when a particular event, process, activity, etc., happens or is done
-
The school year runs from September to June. [=the school operates from September to June]
-
The fiscal year begins in October and ends in September.
-
This will be a great year [=harvest season] for peaches.
-
The pitcher is having his best year [=season] ever.
-
She took geometry (during) her sophomore year.
-
first- and second-year students
in the year of our Lord
formal
—
used before a year to say that it is after the birth of Jesus Christ
never/not in a thousand/million/billion years
informal
—
used as a strong way of saying that something is extremely unlikely or impossible
put years on
:
to cause (someone) to look or feel older
since (the) year one
(US)
informal
or British
since the year dot
:
for a very long time
:
since a time in the distant past
take years off
:
to cause someone to look or feel younger