(~s)
1.
A ~ is the length of time that someone is alive.
During my ~ I haven’t got around to much travelling.
...an extraordinary ~ of achievement.
N-COUNT: usu sing, oft poss N
2.
The ~ of a particular thing is the period of time that it lasts.
...the ~ of a parliament.
...a satellite’s ~.
N-SING: with poss
3.
If you describe something as the chance or experience of a ~, you are emphasizing that it is the best or most important chance or experience that you are ever likely to have.
This could be not just the trip of a ~ but the experience of a ~.
PHRASE: n PHR emphasis