■ noun
1》 a twenty-four-hour period as a unit of time, reckoned from one midnight to the next and corresponding to a rotation of the earth on its axis.
↘the time between sunrise and sunset.
↘ Astronomy a single rotation of a planet in relation to its primary.
2》 a particular period of the past: the laws were very strict in those ~s.
↘( the ~ ) the present time.
↘( ~s ) a particular period in a person's life: my student ~s.
↘( one's ~ ) the successful or influential period of a person's life.
■ adjective working or done during the ~.
Phrases
all in a ~'s work part of someone's normal routine.
any ~ informal at any time.
↘under any circumstances.
call it a ~ decide to stop doing something.
~ and night all the time.
~ by ~ gradually and steadily.
~ in, ~ out continuously or repeatedly over a long period.
~ of reckoning a testing time when the degree of one's success or failure will be revealed. [with allusion to Judgement Day.]
~ to ~
1》 happening or proceeding on a daily basis.
2》 involving every~ routine.
one ~ (or some ~ or one of these ~s ) at some time in the future.
one of those ~s a ~ when things go badly.
that will be the ~ informal that is very unlikely.
these ~s at present.
Origin
OE dæg , of Gmc origin; related to Ger. Tag .