The Collaborative International Dictionary
Day \Day\ (d[=a]), n. [OE. day, dai, dei, AS. d[ae]g; akin to OS., D., Dan., & Sw. dag, G. tag, Icel. dagr, Goth. dags; cf. Skr. dah (for dhagh ?) to burn. [root]69. Cf. Dawn.]
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; -- also called daytime.
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.
Those hours, or the daily recurring period, allotted by usage or law for work.
-
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. -
(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. Note: 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, (Zo["o]l.), 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 day when work may be legally done, in distinction from Sundays and legal holidays.
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.
Usage examples of "day's work".
Praetor Capatius uses him for difficult assignments, and evicting a few poor tenants is all in a day's work for him.
Not the conventional sort of a dreamer, who sees beauty in everything but an honest day's work, but a brawny, pick-swinging dreamer who had dug holes in the ground at the end of many rainbows.
Chekov thought back to the days on the collective, when the days grew longer and the exhaustion of a portapack threatened to ruin an entire day's work.
He comes from the traditional line of aristocrats who think that the lower classes should be satisfied with a reasonable rate of pay for a fair day's work.
Horses to keep awake after a day's work like that, even if they can talk.
Odo was in fact in his native liquid state, regenerating his energies after a hard day's work.
Now it so befell that after a hard day's work he was taking a little rest, when two young nuns, who were walking in the garden, approached the spot where he lay, and stopped to look at him, while he pretended to be asleep.
You have done your day's work, and have lots of money now, and there is a place for sale quite close which would suit you admirably.
So after we were rested a little, and the Kafirs had cut out the hearts of two of the dead elephants for supper, we started homewards, very well pleased with our day's work, having made up our minds to send the bearers on the morrow to chop away the tusks.
As for a pilot, I tell ye what 'tis--if any man hereabouts goes out there to pilot that villain in 'twill be the worst day's work he ever did in all of his life.
A man can't do an honest day's work without some corrupt court official grinding him into the dust.
Just solid, professional investigating and the willingness to do an honest day's work.