year

noun (C)

1 12 MONTHS a period of about 365 days or 12 months, measured from any particular time: I arrived here two years ago. | We've known each other for over a year. | 15 years old | a three-year development | a four-year-old child | tax/fiscal/financial year: The tax year begins in April. | school year (=period during a year when students are in school, university etc)

2 JANUARY TO DECEMBER also calendar year a period of 365 or 366 days divided into 12 months beginning on January 1st and ending on December 31st: the year that Martin Luther King died | Their lease expires at the end of the year. | 1995 was a profitable year. | the year 2000 | all (the) year round (=during the whole year)

3 MEASURE OF TIME technical a measure of time equal to 365¼ days, which is the amount of time it takes for the Earth to travel once around the sun

4 childhood/war/retirement etc years a particular period of time in someone's life or in history: He started writing poetry during his Harvard years. | the boom years of the 1980's

5 years

a) informal many years: in/for years: I haven't been there for years. | It's years since I rode a bike.

b) age, especially old age: Gramps is very active for a man of his years. | getting on in years (=no longer young) | be 12/21 etc years of age (=12/21 etc years old)

6 year by year as each year passes: Year by year their business grew.

7 year after year continuously for many years: It's always the same, year after year.

8 never/not in a million years spoken used to say strongly that you will never do something: I won't forgive him - never in a million years.

9 first/second etc year BrE someone who is in their first etc year at school or university

10 put years on sb/take years off sb to make someone look or feel older or younger: Theresa's divorce has put years on her.

—see also: donkey's years donkey (3), yearly

11 the year dot BrE informal a very long time ago: Scientists have been involved in war since the year dot.