di ‧ a ‧ ry S3 /ˈdaɪəri $ ˈdaɪri/ BrE AmE noun ( plural diaries ) [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: diarium , from dies 'day' ]
1 . a book in which you write down the things that happen to you each day SYN journal :
Inge kept a diary (=wrote in a diary) during the war years.
diary entry (=what you have written for a particular day)
2 . especially British English a book with separate spaces for each day of the year, in which you write down the meetings, events etc that are planned for each day SYN calendar American English :
Did you put the meeting date in your diary?
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ keep/write a diary (=write regularly in a diary)
While I was travelling, I kept a diary every day.
▪ write (something) in your diary
‘Severe weather’, he wrote in his diary that day.
▪ record something in your diary
James Alvin recorded the incident in his diary.
▪ read a diary
I wish you’d let me read your diary.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + diary
▪ a detailed diary
For years she had kept a detailed diary.
▪ a personal/private diary
She later agreed to the publication of parts of her personal diary.
▪ a secret diary (=that no one else knows about or reads)
He found his sister’s secret diary.
▪ a daily/weekly diary
Clarke kept a daily diary of San Franciscan life.
▪ a travel diary (=that you write while you are travelling)
His travel diary makes fascinating reading.
■ diary + NOUN
▪ a diary entry/entry in a diary (=piece of writing in a diary)
His last diary entry was on June 14th.
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THESAURUS
▪ diary a book in which you write down the things that happen to you each day, and your private thoughts:
I decided to keep a diary of our trip to Toronto.
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You shouldn’t read anyone’s private diary.
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On February 3rd, he wrote the last entry in his diary.
▪ journal a diary, especially one written by a famous or important person:
In the 1837 journal, Darwin gives an account of his voyage to South America.
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Her book draws on letters, diaries, journals and historical sources.
▪ memoirs a written record of the important events and people in your life which you write in order to publish – especially one that is written by a famous or important person such as a politician or a military leader:
A lot of politicians think about writing their memoirs.
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The book was titled ‘The Memoirs of a President’.
▪ blog a diary that someone puts on a website, which is a record of their activities, experiences, and opinions, with the latest information always at the top. On some blogs, readers can leave comments:
I try to keep a regular online blog.
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I came across a great post on a blog I read recently.
▪ log/log book an official record of events, especially on a journey in a ship or plane:
the ship’s log
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The captain had made a few notes in the log book.